Dark Energy
by Melaradark
Summary: Following a unique Renegade Shepard's story through all three games.Shepard is a real person, with real traumas...this is a side of her you have never seen. Will feature a Liara/FemShep romance.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

This is a fiction that should span the events from the first game to the third, however, it is **not** a simple regurgitation of the games. You will be able to follow events and recognize the plot but there will be some changes. I am not writing the game.

This is being mirror-published on another site with an MA rating. Here I've softened the language and violence and changed some scenes (and some scenes have been completely deleted) to fit into the ratings guidelines for publication. There is mention of drinking and drug use. If you would like to read the original version message me and I will send you the link. I'm writing this with the idea in mind that anyone reading it has probably played the games at least once.

I'm also winging this off the cuff so please be gentle. This will be a Shepard/Liara romance.

I also don't own Mass Effect or its characters, it's all Bioware's baby…yada yada legalese.

I hope you enjoy.

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><p>EDIT: For some reason my page-breaks were removed. I've re-added them. Sorry about that :)<p>

* * *

><p>The music was a heavy, thumping beat that seemed to pulse through his chest even before he'd set foot in the club. Club…if this place could be <em>called<em> a club. As beaten up and used over as the people who lurked within, the building should have been condemned. In fact, the whole _neighborhood_ should have been torn down ages ago.

Glancing down at the faint glow of the small digital pad, the courier double-checked the address, absolutely sure it wasn't right, disappointed once more to find that it _was_.

The smell was a torpid combination of fried food, booze, sweat, cigarette smoke without the benefit of air purification filters, and urine. _Urine_, of all things.

His stomach did a slow roil as he approached the door, and he grit his teeth.

A pair of men talking just outside paused in their conversation to turn their eyes on him. Their greasy hair was shaved close, great slabs of grimy scalp visible through the thin, angry bristles. One had a cybernetic eye half-visible through a reddened, infected lid. Seeing the nervous courier glance his way, he hawked up a mouthful of foulness and spat it on the ground, then grinned.

The courier hoped the Alliance decal on his shoulder was enough to prevent the two uglies from twisting him into a pretzel. Adam's apple bobbing a bit, he tried not to hold his breath as he stepped past them and into the club.

It was a mass of writhing human bodies dancing to the thunderous music, wreathed with smoke. Battered tables leaned against one wall, people clustered around dirty plates of fried food, dingy pitchers of beer, pinch-boxes of red sand.

The courier, barely more than a boy, had never seen anything like this outside of extranet vids of places like Omega. Here on Earth…it seemed impossible, merely some nightmare of hedonism and violence.

As he double-checked his small pad again nervously, someone gripped his arm. The bouncer, not an ounce more attractive than the men outside, glared at him.

"What you want, _Alliance_?" he demanded in a loud, rumbling voice, still barely heard over the music. Shakily, the courier told him, and with a grunt, the bouncer pointed to a distant corner.

Weaving through the drunk, high, oblivious mass of humanity was a daunting venture. Overwhelmed by the body odor and tobacco, he fought not to vomit once again…then wondered if it would even be noticed if he did. An elbow found his ribcage painfully and he squirmed as close to the wall as he was able to, inching his way along.

A figure sat alone in the far corner, on a seat that was little more than an old-fashioned wooden milk crate set on its side. She was hunched like a forgotten doll, pale fingers plucking at a wooden guitar, a wreath of cigar smoke obscuring what portion of her face could be seen under the leaning swagman hat.

Approaching, the courier cleared his throat, and then cleared it again before attempting to speak.

"Commander Shepard?"

No response. He could barely hear his own voice above the booming music. His Adam's apple bobbed again as he tried once more, louder.

"Commander Shepard?"

The hat tilted upward. Brown eyes regarded him as the pale fingers fell still on the strings. Lifting her hand, the woman took the nearly spent cigar stub out from between her lips.

"I'm on leave," she stated. The courier held the pad out toward her.

"Orders from Admiral Hackett. Leave has been cancelled. You are to report to New York Launch at 0800."

She accepted the pad and looked it over. As she did he felt he should say something. "They tried to contact you directly, but you didn't answer…"

"I turned it off," she said, setting the guitar in the case that was laying at her feet. The thing had to be a serious antique. He didn't think they made non-HI guitars any more.

She scrubbed the remains of her cigar against the wall and then flicked it in the vague direction of an overflowing garbage can before she got to her feet. Standing, she wasn't much taller than the young courier. The pad vanished into her jacket before she snapped up the guitar case and slung it over her shoulder.

Not bothering to speak again, she gestured toward the door of the bar before stepping past him. Grateful for the breakwater she provided, he followed along in her wake, eager to be out of this place.

Once outside he let the relatively fresh air wash over him, gulping at it eagerly. She paused just a few feet away, digging out a small battered silver case, drawing out another cigar.

"New to this part of New York?" she asked with some amusement at his behavior.

"Yes, sir. I…to be honest, sir, I didn't think places like this existed any more on Earth."

"Well, now you know better," she said, lighting the stogie with a quick, efficient puff. His brows creased.

"Permission…to speak candidly sir?"

She grunted what he took to be an affirmative, and he gestured. "Smoking is hardly within the health regs of the Alliance. I'm surprised to see a marine-"

"Lecture me about it when you've seen enough of this galaxy to walk through that bar and _not_ look like you're about to puke," she replied. Her brown eyes looked nearly black as she measured him. "Let me take a wild stab. You're a ship-kid, aren't you? Grew up on bases and Alliance stations and on nice clean Alliance transports."

"I don't think that has anything to do with-"

"Course it does. But it's all right. I can see you're itching to get out of here so why don't you walk me back to base? Escort a lady home, as it were? These are dangerous streets."

He stiffened, schooling his own irritation as he snapped off a salute. "Yes, sir. I have a car, sir. Just this way."

"You got a name, Lance Coolie?" she asked as she followed him away from the club at a far more leisurely gait than the one he adopted. If the kid stood any straighter he was going to snap his own spine in half.

"That's Lance _Corporal_, sir," he replied acerbically. "Lance Corporal James Haley, sir."

"Relax, kid. You're far to tense for an enlisted man."

"Here we are, sir," he replied as he approached a small waiting air-car.

"Fair enough," she murmured, flicking away the cigar and stowing the guitar case before settling into the passenger seat.

As he started the car and directed it to the base she pulled out the small pad and read it over again. Cancelled shore leave for some shiny new ship's shakedown. Anderson had mentioned the _Normandy_ once or twice but the shakedown hadn't been scheduled for another three weeks. He hadn't even been sure he was going to get command of it, just that his name had been mentioned.

That the command was suddenly his, and that Hackett was cancelling shore-leave for a shakedown with a brand new crew all but put it out in neon that something far more serious was going on.

Slipping the pad away into her pocket again she tucked her hat down over her eyes and tried to doze, even though it would be only minutes before they landed at base. It was already past 0100. She'd just have time to pack up, grab a shower and a nap and maybe a quick bite before she had to report in at the Launch.

She had a disquieting feeling that life was about to get very complicated.

* * *

><p>The guitar case landed on the tiny bunk in the cramped quarters at New Rochelle. The swagman landed atop it a breath before Shepard's palm hit the pad on the wall. The door to the miniscule bathroom slid open and in moments her civvies were in a heap on the floor.<p>

Tiny as the room was, it was downright luxurious compared to some of the accommodations she'd found herself in. Just the fact it sported a shower of its own made it a Hilton in her book.

Starting the hot water she stepped under the spray and began to wash away the miasma from the club. Her short, dark brown hair slicked to ebony black, water tracing over her shoulders. She grabbed the soap, her fingers lingering a moment on the hook-shaped scar on her collar bone as she began to lather.

_Scream, you little rat! _

It was hardly the most shocking of her scars. That title went to the deep star-burst on the left side of her abdomen…compliments of a Batarian battle-blade. This scar, however, was the oldest.

Lathering up, she scrubbed at her hair, savoring the hot water until it started to cool. Rinsing off she stepped out of the shower, threw on a robe, and then began to pack. She didn't have much in the way of personal items, which made this easier. Her guitar, her hat. Some civvies. Her beaten cigar case. And the most sentimental item she owned: a carefully folded crayon drawing.

Unfolding it gingerly, she looked at it. It showed two stick figures, one larger and one smaller, holding hands. There was a painstakingly etched heart plastered in red between the two. Written in shaky hand in bright sunshine yellow were the words '_To Del. Bestust buds_.'

Folding it up carefully again, she slid it in her pack and then zipped it shut. Setting her PDA to wake her at 0630 she laid back on the bunk and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>"To be honest, yes, I <em>am<em> concerned."

David Anderson's gaze was shadowed in the yellow light of his desk lamp as it turned toward the woman sitting in the chair opposite. She had a kind, forgiving kind of face…pretty in a way that was aging gracefully. A face that smiled easily, it was now faintly lined in the same worry that reflected in her accented voice.

"What seems to be the problem, doctor? You can speak candidly with me," he replied.

"I know that you have worked with her before, Captain…and I'm a medical doctor, not a psychologist, but to be absolutely frank, I don't see how Commander Shepard is…well, is even possible."

"How do you mean, 'possible'?"

"She was abandoned on the streets when she was six years old," Helen Chakwas stated bluntly. "She lived in the old subway system under New York…no, not the subway system. The subway _ventilation_ system…until she was twelve or thirteen. She was arrested six times for petty larceny and malicious mischief. One of the arrest reports contains a psychiatric evaluation that actually contains the word '_feral_'. It says she bit a regulations officer on the arm and wouldn't let go. They had to pry her off."

"Go on."

His neutral tone flustered her slightly. She tapped the slim data pad in front of her. "Please tell me I needn't remind you of Torfan. What they call her-"

"She has been through more than one psych eval," Leaning forward, he folded his hands on the desk, speaking evenly. "She never would have made it this far in the Alliance if there were concerns as to her mental stability."

"That is what I mean by 'she shouldn't be possible,' Captain," she pointed out. "Her childhood alone would have left any other child with horrible emotional and mental scars. She showed signs as a youth of an aggressive and unstable personality. And yet in her Alliance records I see only praise and accommodations. What she did on Torfan was sadly necessary, however I have seen hard-as-nails marines fall apart over lesser trauma. That's not even considering the murder-"

"I appreciate you bringing me your concerns, doctor, I really do," Anderson interrupted. "But speaking not only just as her commanding officer, but as her friend…Commander Shepard is the best of the best of the Alliance. She has endured nightmares the like of which I hope I never have to face, it is true…but in all my years in the military I have never met a more dedicated, more honest, more determined individual. I would trust her with my life, without hesitation."

Sitting back a little he tapped his fingers lightly on the desk in thought. "Get to know her, Doctor. Talk to her. You are not a psychologist but from what I understand you are an excellent judge of character. If at the end of this shakedown run you still have concerns regarding Del Shepard I will be happy to entertain them again and forward any report you might have to Alliance medical. If she behaves in any way that makes you even remotely uncomfortable, come to me immediately, all right?"

"Yes, Captain, of course."

She slid the data pad into her hand as she rose, Anderson, as a gentleman, instinctively rising along with her. He smiled warmly.

"I look forward to working with you, doctor."

"Thank you Captain. As do I you."

Inclining her head politely she stepped out of the office and crossed the mess hall toward her new infirmary. Servicemen were bustling everywhere, preparing for departure in less than an hour, and she herself still had to finish inventory on the medical supplies. She hoped that would take her mind off this concern about Del Shepard. She knew it hadn't been his intention, but she felt that Anderson simply wasn't taking her seriously.

As she stepped into the infirmary, the faint smell of metal, ozone, and medi-gel embraced her like an old friend. Tossing the data pad down on the desk she sighed and sat, calling up the medical stores on the computer. Anderson had told her to watch Shepard closely, to give the woman a chance…and Helen meant to. She had treated marines for years that had suffered all kinds of trauma and horrific stress. She simply could not fathom how anyone could have gone through what this commander had endured and come out stable on the other end. It simply wasn't possible.

* * *

><p>"<em>I take it this is good for humanity?"<em>

"It shows just how far we've come."

Heavy boots came down into the soft soil of Eden Prime, crushing young grass. A haven, a blessing…paradise. As heaven, it had once been a perfection of peace.

Now, however, the demons of the underworld had revolted, broken their chains and their Gate, and swept up on these blessed shores. Fire lit the sky. The distant thunder of weapons echoed endlessly in the blue.

Flames lashed out beyond the distant ridge. Their reflection rippled over the visor of her helmet, flaring her brown eyes golden. For a moment, Alenko couldn't decide if she was the avenging angel come to save paradise…or one of the devils come to claim it.

Wordlessly, Shepard gestured along the sloping path, indicating the rocks for cover. Though there was little chance of their movements being heard amid the echoes of the colony's defense guns, all three of the marines moved with quick, stealth efficiency.

It was hot, a brilliant summer's day here on Eden Prime. The temperature soared to at least 32c. Despite his armor's climate control, Alenko felt nervous sweat gathering at the back of his neck, dampening his brow. He struggled to ignore its itching. He wondered how the kid was faring but dared not take his eyes off every possible inch of cover that might hide a lurking assassin.

He caught Shepard's gesture to stop out of the corner of his eye and immediately obeyed, dropping into a crouch behind the rocks. Jenkins mirrored his action, however there were indications of his built up tension. The way he shifted slightly from foot to foot, the way his posture stiffened and relaxed. Not that Alenko could really blame him. Not only was this the kid's first _real_groundside mission, he had grown up here. It could not be easy watching your home colony under attack, to know that people you had grown up with were possibly being slaughtered only a couple of hillsides away.

Shepard's brown eyes narrowed behind her face-plate as she scrutinized the path ahead. The grass was thin, dirt showing unhurried footprints that were vague and rounded, softened by the wind and not recent. There was no sign of any threat, and yet her gut was tense and heated. If Shepard had learned nothing else in life, one lesson would never be forgotten.

_Always _trust your gut.

No fresh prints didn't rule out air cars, drones, shuttles, anti-grav bikes, or easily a half-dozen other reasons an entire battalion couldn't have gone past here without setting a single foot on the ground.

Carefully sheathing her pistol she drew out the small sniper on her shoulder, flipping the scope on and lifting her face plate. The distant slope of the path leapt forward in sharp focus through the barrel of the scope. Scanning slowly, she scrutinized each rock and leaf, determined to find any hint of shadow, flesh, cloth, or metal that did not belong.

Nothing presented itself. She was just about to lower the sniper when she caught the faintest metallic gleam, amongst the branches of a tree. It was there and gone again, just a flash, a sliver.

The muzzle of the sniper braced on the rock in front of her, she kept her finger on the trigger, one hand lifting faintly to gesture to Alenko that she had seen something. Tense and eager, Jenkins mistook her gesture as one to move forward, and rushed out into the path.

There was the swift, wasp-like buzz of gunfire. Her finger squeezed and the shot ripped through the drone in a shatter of steel. As it dropped out of sight she heard Alenko fire as well, punctuated by Jenkins's hoarse scream.

Dropping the sniper as if it were nothing more than a used tissue, she swept her pistol out again. Two more drones where rushing up the pathway, hovering vipers spitting bullets among the rocks. She and Alenko both fired again in almost the same motion.

One drone spun away, shedding fire like a child's sparkle-disc on New Year's. The other dipped and turned, its stream of bullets shredding the foliage overhead and sending a rain of twigs and leaves down on the marines. As it tried to correct, its wild spray thumped dirt and then granite as it beat along the rocks. Shepard fired twice more and the drone dissolved into a confetti of broken electronics.

"_Corporal_!"

Satisfied the path was clear of drones, Shepard shipped her pistol and joined Alenko at the fallen boy's side. Gripping him lightly, she steadied his head as Alenko gingerly pulled off the boy's helmet.

His gaze was confused, pained, his eyelashes fluttering with rapid half-blinks. A rattling, wet sound punctuated the frantic breath he drew in, eyes shifting from Alenko to Shepard. His face had gone ashen pale, his chin a gore of crimson, teeth stained pink with blood.

"I'm sorry, I don't-" he gulped weakly.

"It's all right, Richard," Alenko soothed. "We'll get-"

Shepard gripped his shoulder as the boy made one last, faint sound…an unasked question that would never be answered. The light faded from his eyes.

In vids when someone died, those gathered around would simply pass their hand over their open eyes and they would gently close, the actor timing the motion with the sweeping hand. In real life it never worked that way. Even if she closed his eyes, they would simply open again in a few seconds as muscles contracted. In ancient times, they used to put coins over the eyelids to hold them shut. They called it 'fare for the Ferryman'.

Shepard didn't have the luxury of coins. As Alenko slumped into a sit and removed his helmet, cradling his forehead in his hand, Shepard clinically pulled off Jenkins' glove and draped it over his fixed gaze.

"I should have…I should have _stopped_him. He was just a kid…he never had a chance…"

"Hey." Del reached out, gripping Alenko's shoulder again, her brown eyes intense but her tone not unkind as he looked at her. "Keep it together. We've still got a mission."

"Richard-"

"We'll get him taken care of, I promise. But right now I need your head in the game if we want to stop anyone else from dying. Pull it together, marine."

Grief would have to wait. Grief _always_had to wait. Nothing could be done for the kid now, and if they stayed here they would likely be dead themselves very shortly. She rose to her feet as Alenko pulled his helmet back on and did likewise.

"Steady?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Steady, Commander."

"Weapons ready," she murmured, pistol already back in her hand. She paused only long enough to snag her sniper again and ship it before they continued on.

The path was a winding meander that would have been incredibly scenic under any other circumstances. Topping the cliff-side it wove through trees and around rocks, and offered a spectacular view of the valley floor far below. Scarlet, emerald, rich browns and golds were laid out in a stunning vista, patterned by geometric farmland and dominated by the great white buildings and towers of the colony 'downtown'.

It was, however, not tranquil. The defense guns on the towers still thundered with heavy fire, directed at something unseen around the far side of the ridge. Columns of smoke created thick smudges into the air, and occasionally flashes of smaller weapons-fire could be seen in the streets.

Shepard still did not know what kind of enemy they were up against. The drones meant nothing, and could have been programmed by anyone from a human mercenary to a Batarian extremist. They could round a corner at any time and come upon a full battle mech, a horde of krogan, or sniper ready to take their heads off. She had to be prepared for anything. Shepard was still alive because she prepared for anything.

Once the ground leveled out sharp spits of gunfire lit up just beyond the tree line. Shepard swept forward, she and Alenko parting as they took cover behind a pair of trees. Crouching, she cautiously looked around.

The hillside sloped down into a wide clearing, broken up by those damn rocks. From this vantage Shepard could finally see the closest buildings of the far colony fringe, perhaps half a mile further on. The clearing itself was not natural. Straight, even ranks of laser boring lining the rock walls was proof of long-term digging. Parts of the thicker granite intrusion had clearly been blasted away. They'd reached the archeology dig site.

A soldier was running up the slope, a marine non-comm by the look of her armor. She reached the largest rock intrusion, sliding behind it with all the swift grace of a zero-G ball player skidding into home. Gunfire chewed up the edge of the rock as she made cover, barely missing her helmet. Gesturing firmly at Alenko, Shepard headed her direction in a crouched run, pistol ready.

Alenko's cover fire was sharp and precise. As she reached the intrusion Shepard barked at the non-comm without so much as a glance.

"Stay down!"

She opened a spat of her own cover fire as Alenko emerged from the tree line. There was a grinding whine as her bullets hit home, and then silence. Pointing at the non-comm firmly as she looked at Alenko, Shepard cautiously approached the strange figure they'd downed lying on the ground.

For a moment, she thought it was simply odd armor hiding the alien inside. Metal was ripped and a power cell spit faintly. Portions of it looked flexible, greasy, and somehow gave the impression of writhing even while motionless. A thick, white puss-like discharge bubbled from the torn armor and oozed down to puddle beneath it. It wasn't until she reached out and touched the oddly hooked 'head' that she realized it wasn't organic at all, but some kind of machine. Bipedal, incredibly sophisticated, vaguely familiar.

Glancing around she saw Alenko had the non-comm's helmet off, the woman sitting against the intrusion. Her face glistened with sweat and she was trying to catch her breath. Striding over Shepard looked down at her.

"You all right?"

"Fine, ma'am," the non-comm panted. Her eyes looked hollow and exhausted. She lifted an arm and saluted sharply. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212 ma'am."

"You're not hurt?" Alenko pressed. She shook her head.

"Nothing worth writing home about," she replied with a terse, mirthless smile. "Wish I could say the same for the rest of my unit. Those…things slaughtered them or…or worse."

"Don't think I like the sound of the 'or worse'," Alenko murmured, glancing up at Shepard.

"Make sure we're not about to be surprised," Shepard ordered. Alenko rose with a nod and stepped away to clear the area. Shepard's helmet landed lightly on the grass besides Williams' as she removed it and crouched down.

"I need everything you know. What are we up against?"

"Pretty sure they're geth," Williams said, before she cleared her throat faintly, the muscles in her jaw cording with tension a moment before loosening again. "The attack was so fast, no one knew what was happening. I didn't see a ship but we could hear it, _feel_it almost, cutting through our heads. I can't describe it…it was tortured, crippling. Half of us were dead before we could even think. We tried to get to the civvies, dig in. Sent off a warning...a distress signal. But they kept coming. No pain, no fear…we didn't even realize they were artificial at first."

"And you're certain they're geth?"

"Almost certain, ma'am…I think they must be. What I can't understand is, why here and now? After so long keeping to themselves? I mean, obviously it's got to be the Beacon but…what is that to them?"

"The same thing it is to any of us. A chance to gain an edge."

"There's…something else too. Something that…well, it's probably best just to show you." Williams bobbed her head faintly, and then climbed to her feet, one hand holding her side a moment before it dropped. "I'm five-by now. I just needed to catch my breath."

Shepard straightened as well, picking up her helmet. "After you then, Chief."

The 'something else' lay further down the slope. Alenko re-joined them as they edged down toward it, and Shepard could feel her own jaw tense at the sight of it.

She'd seen a lot of disturbing things in her day, but this took the cake. It was sophisticated and yet primitively barbaric at the same time; a great spike, glistening with electronics, that rose nearly seven meters into the air. Impaled at the tip was a human man dressed in civvies. A thin gray cloud of flies had already gathered.

"They did this to everyone they got hold of…everyone still _alive_, anyway." Williams' voice was schooled but thick. The heat of the day, coupled with her exertions, made the dark hair at her temples and the back of her neck cling to her skin. "There are at least a dozen of these things, maybe more."

"That's…that's just _torture_," Alenko determined, the tone of righteous indignation in his voice making Shepard blink. "Do synthetics even _comprehend_torture?"

"Ask the Quarians," Shepard replied dryly, fastening her helmet down again. "We'd better keep on moving. Williams, you're with us. We need to get to the Beacon."

"Yes, ma'am. It's not too far, just a bit further down the dig."

Cautiously, the trio continued on, the non-comm taking the lead. Shepard wondered if Nihlus had seen these spikes and their impaled victims. She couldn't imagine how he hadn't, and yet he had not said a word of it to them. They were ordered on radio silence unless absolutely necessary, but apparently she and the Turian had different ideas as to what was 'necessary'.

Knowing they were fighting synthetics -synthetics that were _impaling _people as some kind of grotesque warning- felt pretty 'necessary' to her.

Almost as if her thoughts had summoned him, the Spectre's voice suddenly filled her ear.

_{Shepard, I'm at the edge of the main colony. It seems the fighting is dying down. I can see a small space port ahead. I'm going on ahead and I'll meet you there.}  
><em>  
>"Understood," she replied, touching the transmit. "Be advised, the enemy appear to be geth."<p>

_{Understood.}_

He was gone again. Not a hint, not a _clue_in his voice that he already knew who the enemy were. He might as well have been taking a stroll after a picnic.

_"Damn it!"_

Ashley's sharp bark lifted Shepard's pistol slightly before she lowered it again. Trotting ahead a step or two she halted at the non-comm's side.

"What is it?"

"It's gone. The Beacon I mean. It was right there, we should be able to see it. Bastards must have taken it already."

"The archeologists may have moved it," Alenko pointed out. "They were expecting us to come for it after all."

"Archaeologists or geth, the most likely place either would have taken it would be that space port," Shepard told them. "Either way means we need to hurry."

"We'll have to cut over the hill through the dig camp…that's the fastest way. But it'll likely be crawling," Ashley warned, before the three of them moved forward at a jog.

Shepard's gut was tightening again, coiling into a slick, hot weight. Popping out the thermal from her pistol, she slapped a fresh one into place, taking the few rock stairs that had been carved along the sloping path two at a time.

She had just passed Williams as they reached the top of the hill, and the scene that greeted her sucked all the heat out of the summer day.

A handful of pre-fabs were scattered about…home base for the archeologists and scientists working the dig. What grass there was had been mostly worn away to dirt, any thicker vegetation clear-cut away. A small garden stood nearby, newly sprouting plants torn up and trampled. A dozen of those wicked spikes stood in a precise circle around the center of the camp, grim sentinels overlooking the scattered corpses cast about. Dirt had been churned to thick mud by the sheer amount of blood, and the humming drone of flies was all-pervasive. Not for the first time in her life was Shepard grateful her helmet was impervious to outside odor. This much death in this hot of a sun would hardly be perfume.

The bodies hadn't just been shot. Some had been gashed, _ripped_ almost. This was more than just synthetics after the Beacon. These wounds had been caused by blades, claws perhaps. This slaughter was _personal_.

Most of them were civvies. A few marines. But even the massacre strewn over the ground wasn't the worst of it.

Half of the spikes were still standing tall and still. Three seemed to be in the process of retracting, sending arcs of plasma energy snapping like hot white tongues into the air, bearing their impaled victims toward the ground. A further three were already completely retracted, the bodies on them shifting and…_moving?_

"They're still _alive_?" Alenko hissed through clenched teeth.

It didn't seem possible and yet they _were_moving, staggering to their feet, dying snaps of plasma energy caressing them like withering lovers. They were hairless, gray as ash, coiled with black ropes of some squirming material that gleamed here and there with bright blue light.

Shepard's throat felt dry as the first abomination turned toward her, the same baleful cyan beaming from its eyes. As its mouth dropped open to an inhuman extent, a scream like tearing steel ripped through the air.

Teeth clenched so tightly her jaw ached, Shepard snarled, "Light 'em up!"

The weapons of all three marines ignited, bullets tearing into the thing, shredding it. A normal human would have been soup in a heartbeat under the barrage, but the thing managed to stagger forward nearly four or five steps before it finally collapsed, grey flesh puffing up like dust from a mummy.

As it fell, others were ripping themselves off of lowered spikes, more of those shrieks filling the air. The spikes that had been fully extended just a moment ago also started to lower, promising to send another half dozen abominations into the fray.

"Shepard!" Williams suddenly shouted, drawing the commander's attention. In the shadows near one pre-fab, a pair of clearly wounded civvies were struggling to reach the door control. Three of the beasts had been drawn by the motion and were heading their way.

Shepard shifted her aim toward the nearest of the three, stitching a line across its back even as she began to stride forward. It staggered down to one knee and then tried to struggle up again, to keep on. Her next three shots landed with vicious precision, putting it down for good.

As it fell there was the sudden sensation of pressure, and the very air around a second one seemed to ripple and contract, bearing the thing off its feet and sending it smashing into one of the pre-fabs as if it had been hit by a krogan. Shepard only half-blinked; she'd forgotten than Alenko was a biotic.

The third was close to the civilians…_too_close. The civvies hugged each other, one screaming as they tried to scramble back from it. Shepard, still firing, felt a sudden jolt that staggered her to one side. Arms rasped like sandpaper over her armor, her shielding flaring and lighting with the same plasma bursts from the spikes. She saw the gaping mouth, looked into the ghost-fire light where eyes should be. With a grunt, she lifted an elbow and drove it as hard as she could into the thing's chest, twisting and then throwing her fist directly into its face in almost the same motion. As it tore back from her and hit the ground, she unloaded her pistol into its head with determination.

Turning back to the civvies, her weapon smoking, she saw Williams had taken care of the third monstrosity and stood now in front of the civvies, firing at a final monstrosity already being ripped apart by Alenko's weapon. Shepard ejected her thermal, snapping another one into place even as she scanned for more of the things.

The area was clear. Shepard strode over and smacked the panel for the pre-fab's door. The civvies, both scientists by the look of their tattered and dirt-stained clothing, were both weeping and frantically gushing 'thank you's as Williams helped them up to their feet.

Shepard cleared the pre-fab with a quick sweep of her pistol, then jerked her chin at Williams. "In here."

Herding the two, the non-comm moved them inside.

Shepard glanced over at Alenko as Williams checked the civilians. He was crouched, examining one of the things where it lay twisted and still on the dirt.

"They're all right, Commander," Williams reported. "Shaken up, scared to death, but nothing more than some bumps and bruises."

"We're going to lock you in," Shepard told the pair. "This area is clear now and you will be safe. We'll send a med-team to get you the moment we have the sector secure, just hold tight."

"Thank you," the young man said in a shaky voice, wiping his eyes self-consciously. The other, an older woman, gripped his hand with white-knuckle intensity.

"I don't know what we'd have done if…we owe you our lives," she murmured.

"You'll be all right," Shepard said gently, before stepping back and allowing Williams to exit. As soon as she was clear, she closed and secure-locked the door.

"I can't tell what they are, Commander," Alenko said, straightening as Shepard walked over to him. "I mean, they were human, that much is clear but…this is a technology I've never seen before. I don't think _anyone_has."

Wordlessly, Shepard lit her omni-tool and passed a scan-beam over the corpse. When it had finished, she saved the information and forwarded it to the _Normandy_.

"This will have to be enough for right now," she said. "Hopefully the Alliance can retrieve these remains and make more sense of them…for right now we need to get our asses to that space-port. We-"

She broke off, her head snapping around as a single rifle shot tore through the air. It was distant, but not as distant as she would have liked. It was striking in that it was even audible, and she realized that the colony defense guns and the sounds of distant battle had stopped. The afternoon was almost preternaturally still and silent.

"Look at that…" Williams suddenly breathed.

A ship was lifting off, a huge black leviathan the size of Moon Orbital 2. Clouds of acrid black smoke billowed as it began to gain momentum, the sunlight washing over a surface that seemed to shift and shine like crude oil. For a single breath, as the light hit it just right, a pale rainbow ringed it in a flare of color, and then disappeared.

The very ground beneath their feet trembled at the great rumble of its engines, so deep it was feeling more than sound. In moments it was gone, vanished into the azure, the coiling column of black smoke twisting and roiling in its wake.

Silently Shepard lowered her gaze and gestured. The other two fell in behind her as they started down toward the space port.

More bodies trailed down the hill, some no older than Jenkins. Shepard's stride was mechanical as she passed a boy sprawled on the steps up to the first shipping dock, eyes staring lifelessly.

It was the body that lay just beyond him that stopped her. The pool around this one was a deep navy blue rather than red. Sharp teeth lay bared to the sun in a grimace of surprise.

"Commander?" Alenko questioned, his voice shocked. Shepard took a step forward, went down on a knee. Her gloved hand lightly touched the rough, scaled ridges over the blank yellow eyes.

"What's a turian doing here?" Williams asked with a blink.

"It's Nihlus," Shepard stated. "He was part of our team."

That wasn't exactly true, but now was hardly the time to explain it. As she drew her hand back she heard a faint sound. Instantly she was on her feet again, pistol snapping up to aim at the pale-faced civvie that stood staring at them as if he'd never seen another human being.

Her finger eased off the trigger as she glowered. "Goddamn it, do you know how _close_you came to having a hole in your face?"

"I'm…I'm sorry, I…" he stammered, trembling hands in the air as his eyes darted between the three of them with rapid, nervous motion.

She lowered the pistol, the scowl not clearing from her face as she gestured at the body. "You know what happened? You see anything?"

"I..." he licked his lips, eyes falling to the body a moment before his gaze skittered away. Slowly, unconsciously, his hands lowered to fall at his sides.

"We're not going to hurt you," Alenko soothed calmly. "We just want to know what happened."

"There were _two_of them," the dockworker blurted. "One was waiting here, and then this one came. They knew each other, talked a moment...c-called each other by name-"

"Two of them? You mean, two turians," Shepard clarified. The man's head bobbed frantically.

"Y-yes, turians. The first one called this one N-Nihlus, and he called the other one Saren, I think."

"What happened after they talked?"

"He...he turned around, looked that way." The man pointed a shaking finger first at the body, then back up the hill in the direction they'd just come from. "Then the other one...S-Saren, sh-shot him, j-just _shot_him..."

Shepard looked down at Nihlus once more. He had been looking for them. Had they moved just a little faster, they might have been able to help him.

_Another turian. Here with the geth, or at least aware of them and willing to take advantage of the situation long enough to murder Nihlus. Saren...I won't forget that name._

"Where did he go, this 'Saren'," she asked. "After he shot Nihlus?"

"The cargo train, to the other side of the docks. It's just that way, around the corner. I can't...I can't look at him anymore. Can I go?"

"In one second," Shepard said sternly. "First, what's your name?"

"Powell," he replied. He rubbed at his neck, his eyes less frantic now and more exhausted.

"Powell," she echoed with a nod. "Ok, Powell. Did you see the Beacon? Did Saren have it with him?"

At the man's blank look, Ashley chimed in. "It would have been about three meters tall, thin...metal that looked like stonework, alien in design."

Confusion clarified into understanding. "No, no...they took it through early this morning...feels like a hundred years ago. To the other side, the docking platform over there. He...that must be where he was going. The cargo train-"

"We have to move," Shepard intoned. Looking at Powell she told him, "Stay here. Alliance rescue teams should be through soon."

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled, withered and seeming aged beyond his years, his gaze falling to the silent body once more. "Okay."

* * *

><p>"I'm supposed to be on <em>shore leave<em>," Shepard grumbled under her breath as the butt of her rifle slammed into the corner of the panel. Just behind her, Alenko and Williams were laying down a blanket of weapons-fire so loud she almost couldn't hear herself. What she _could_hear, however, was each beep as the holographic display shimmering in front of the panel counted down another second.

Salted bomb. The entire dock was wired. They hadn't even tried to hide it. It was _beyond_ insane. A pocket nuke purposefully salted with cobalt, it was like the murders of those civvies…indisputably personal. The nuke itself was only powerful enough to take out the transport hub and docking station. As soon as it went off, however, the nuke's tamper would blanket the entire colony in enough cobalt-fueled gamma radiation to make death for any organic creature a terrible, agonizing certainty. No quick, clean death, it was designed with the sole purpose of making them _suffer_.

Another slam with the butt of her rifle and the casing finally bent enough for her to get a grip on it. Ripping it off, the holographic display shorting out, she all but tore a small circuit board free and snatched a small tool from her belt.

"Commander!" Alenko shouted.

"_Thirty seconds_," she snapped back without looking around or pausing her work. Painstakingly she severed a small connection and then began to bypass the electronic pulse trigger signal.

_Shore leave!_

The small power unit sparked and then died, the tiny surge meant to trigger the bomb simply looping on itself as she finished the bypass. Blasting out a sigh of relief she gave the circuit board a tug, tearing it free from its connections and tossing it disdainfully on the ground. Tucking the tool away she pulled out her pistol and joined the other two as they took down the last of the synthetics.

Williams swept ahead, scanning the ramp, and then gave the all-clear. Shepard shipped her pistol as Alenko glanced back at the remains of the bomb trigger.

"Someone wanted to make _absolutely_sure every organic in a hundred mile radius was made very dead," Shepard told him.

"Is it safe?"

"It's shielded enough, or else our radiation alarms would be sounding," she said, tapping the tiny indicator in the collar of her armor-suit. "You could probably play zero-g with the nuke now and it would be fine, but let's not try that."

"Commander, the platform is secure," Williams reported as she returned to her companions. "But get this…the Beacon is _still there._"

Shepard's puzzled look was unmistakable. What was all this about, if not the Beacon? And if that's what they were after, why go through this much trouble just to leave it behind? She'd been sure that huge ship had it on board.

Following after Williams they headed down the ramp to the docking platform. At the far end it stood, tall, thin, and unmistakably alien. It was wreathed in a thin green aura, a brighter spotlight lancing straight up into the air. She could feel a faint hum through her boots, like the pulse of a small machine working very hard.

"It sure wasn't doing _that _the last time I saw it," Williams said as she shed her helmet, smoothing some hair back from her damp cheeks. She squinted at the ethereal green-yellow light. "It's kind of cool…in a creepy sort of way."

"Alenko, do a full sweep. Make sure we don't have any more surprises waiting for us; particularly of the exploding kind," Shepard ordered. As he lit up his omni-tool and stepped away, she switched her helmet-com over to the ship band.

"_Normandy_, we have the Beacon. Securing it now. Be advised we have radioactive material at our location, we'll need a full clean-up."

_{Radioactive material?}_Anderson sounded surprised.

"Someone set up a cobalt salted pocket nuke to take out this entire colony. I took out its trigger and it's well-shielded but best not to take any chances."

_{Understood. We'll be at your location in five minutes for a pick-up, Shepard. Normandy out.}_

Hauling her helmet off she wiped a wrist over her brow, then gave a weary chuckle as she caught William's eye. The non-comm half-grinned as well.

"Hell of a day, ma'am," she said, the exhaustion that had previously only been visible in her eyes now clear in her voice.

"You can say that twice, Gunny," Shepard agreed. Looking past her to where Alenko was finishing his sweep she called, "We five-by?"

"All clear, Commander," he replied, switching off his omni-tool as he turned away from the edge of the dock, only feet from the Beacon.

The air suddenly shimmered, rippling in distortions similar to heat waves, the emerald light around the beacon growing in intensity. As the distortion reached Alenko he gasped, jolting forward and then backward as if lassoed around the waist, stumbling to regain his balance.

Her helmet clattered to the ground as Shepard ran forward, nearly knocking Williams down in her haste. As she reached the edge of the distortion field herself it was as if time suddenly stretched and then compressed.

Her shoulder collided with Alenko's and instinctively she shoved. She was barely aware of him hitting the ground, sliding beyond the boundary of the field. As if she were attached to elastic she was snapped backward.

The universe spun in a drunken stupor. Green light filled her eyes, burned through her brain, laid her bare.

Muscles bound as rigid as steel around bones that blistered and swelled and cracked with heat. She screamed, a silent rush of desert wind that scattered her like ash. Guttural, violent noise rumbled and shrieked through her ears. A form, a being drifted out of the dark. She reached for it, and at her touch it fell away and dissolved.

Metal shone and glistened like oil. A rainbow winked across the sky. Buildings collapsed, screaming bodies crushed beneath falling stone and iron.

_Is this what is best for humanity? _

Anderson smiled warmly in the glow of comm room displays. The weight of his hand on her shoulder was fatherly, affectionate, reliable.

_If anyone can do this, it's you Del. The first human Spectre…if you pull this off, it shows just how far humanity has come._

His brown eyes glistened, his warm smile softening.

_It shows just how far _you _have come._

_We'll be working together for a while, Shepard. It will take time to prove to the Council that you are exactly what the galaxy needs. _

Nihlus's yellow eyes were steady. It was hard to tell with turians, they always looked so stern anyway, but his stoicism seemed sincere.

He melted away like a candle. Anderson turned ashen and fell apart like burned leaves. His voice whispered like sand.

_We unearthed a Prothean Beacon, Shepard. This mission is all yours._

Her lungs ached as she ran through fiery rain. The sky was coming down, great metal hands reaching from heaven, tearing the world asunder with lightning.

_We are the vanguard of your destruction. You fumble in ignorance._

The ground disappeared in a fall of rock. A skinned face wept thick white tears amongst a nest of electronics, synthetic agony, synthetic fear.

_Scream, you little rat!_

The Room was small, dirty. The Woman was sick, her skin yellow, eyes and lips tinged a blotchy red. She reached forward with bony, hot little hands to grasp frantically at the Man.

_Please…some credits. I'm hungry..._

The Man slapped her away, spittle foaming his lips.  
><em><br>We'd have more food if it weren't for the brat!_

Sharp hot pain in her arm as he snatched her from the corner. He smelled of urine and sweat and rotten teeth. His breath was a hot furnace. The blade that cut into her collar bone was even hotter.

_Scream, you little rat!_

Crawling away. Dizzy. The knife shining again.

_Scream! Scream or die you pathetic little pest!_

The scream that ripped out of her heated her throat and lungs and rang in her ears as huge steel fingers tore the Room away and left only darkness.

* * *

><p>The great black corridor undulated and coiled like the intestines of some enormous beast petrified into steel and stone. Her small hand could feel a deep, rhythmic sound pulsing through the bulkhead; a great, slumbering heart-beat.<p>

"00100100, 00111111, 01101010, 10001000, 10000101, 10100011, 00001000, 11010011…"

The human woman was small, thin in a way that did not seem healthy. Her blonde hair was a pretty enough shade but unkempt and raggedly cut. Her skin had a dusky, leathery texture to it that testified to far too long spent out in solar radiation without protection. It made her look older than she was. Her eyes, quick and muddy green, were sunk into hollows, yet almost fever-bright. She was mumbling the numbers to herself as she walked, her hand trailing along the wall. Between the first two fingers of her other hand, curlicues of smoke danced from the tip of a lit cigarette that was crumbling to ash, forgotten.

The sound of something hard hitting the wall beyond a doorway up ahead halted her murmurs and lifted her gaze. Intrigued, she mindlessly flicked the butt across the corridor and then drifted closer to the open door, poking her head around the corner.

Benezia was as collected and statuesque as always, standing with the cool confidence only asari seemed capable of. The turian snarling at her was far less composed, his talons gripping her head as if he meant to break her neck. He grumbled something low under his breath, something she could not hear from this vantage, and then released the asari, stalking away.

With a calm indicative of her near-millennia in age , Benezia turned and walked across the room, the asari's blue eyes swiftly focusing on the human woman watching silently from the shadow of the doorway. She said nothing, only the faintest arch of one brow displaying her curiosity to the human as she stepped past and into the corridor.

"You told him about that soldier using the Beacon," the blonde stated as she fell in behind her. "He should have made sure it was destroyed before he departed Eden Prime, not waited in the hopes the nuke would take it out."

"Believe it or not, he does listen to you on occasion," Benezia stated evenly. "There was a separate device wired to the Beacon. It…did not detonate as swiftly as expected."

"That's what happens when you rely on these synthetics," her companion replied with a faint grunt.

"The geth have been extremely reliable so far."

"There's a very basic difference in how a synthetic intelligence operates when compared to an organic," she sniped, rolling her shoulders as if a weight rested uncomfortably upon them. "Most of the time that may prove favorable, but obviously there are going to be situations when their motivations, methods and results are going to be incomprehensible to normal, average organic simpletons."

"Gellian, I suspect you are not including yourself among these 'normal, average organic simpletons'," Benezia said with mild amusement.

"I nearly, purposefully, removed half my brain when I was ten years old," Gellian replied in irritation. "Had I done so, it might have actually been more realistic to say I even approached the class of so-called 'normal' organic intelligence. For example, did you know that every system in this ship vibrates at a pulsation frequency that identically matches the binary translation of Pi?"

Benezia's concern wasn't with the pulsation frequency, nor was she in any way startled to know that Gellian Osco knew the binary translation of Pi off the top of her head. Instead her concern was far more pragmatic.

"Gellian, you have taken your medication?"

Osco's smirk was wry and mirthless. "Time spent on this ship seems to affect the potency of my 'medication', as you diplomatically put it. I wonder how Saren's research would fare if he knew that little bit of trivia. So, what does he intend to do about this random soldier and his unfortunate use of the Beacon?"

"_Her_," Benezia corrected. "The 'random soldier' is one of Captain Anderson's crew. I researched her dossier a moment ago…a Commander Delilah Shepard. He wishes her eliminated."

"The Butcher of Torfan," Gellian smirked. A butcher of a different kind in her own right, Gellian's muddy green eyes sparkled with dangerous depths. "Well, if she activated the Beacon and even manages to partially translate the information it will lead her in the same direction it is leading us. I look forward to dissecting her brain. What about your daughter?"

Only the most astute observer would have noticed the ever so slight stiffening of Benezia's gait, the subtle shift deep in her aging blue eyes.

"She has information that could prove most valuable," she answered. "She is being retrieved. Saren has promised she will not be harmed."

"The promises of the mad _to_ the mad," Gellian chuckled.

"His decision is the correct one. I cannot be blinded by familial affection."

"Those aren't your words, nor are they his," Gellian told her sternly, pausing at a junction. "Pi isn't the only thing this ship knows, 'Zia. I feel its claws too."

Benezia's gaze was stern but silent. The little human doctor, quite unique among her species, nodded in respect to the Matriarch. "If you want, I can go get her," she offered.

"He has already sent a team."

"Then I had best go quickly. I could use the time off the ship anyway. Perhaps the 'medication' will regain its potency."

The asari's lashes trembled ever so faintly, the most show of emotion Gellian had ever seen from her. "Go," she said at last. "And if his team harms her…"

The blonde only smiled, inclining her head in respectful agreement before she turned on her heel and strode away.

* * *

><p>Dr. Chakwas turned away from the drawer as the bustle reached the infirmary door, the small handful of tools in her hand clattering into a tray as she indicated the nearest bed.<p>

"Put her there, quickly."

Alenko did not miss a beat in his stride, an unfamiliar marine at his heels as he lay the limp form in his arms onto the nearest bio-bed. They had not removed her helmet, but that didn't lessen her irritation.

"You should have waited for a hover-gurney," she chided as she swiftly accessed the bed's holographic interface. As the full scan began, a yellow light sweeping down over the prone form, Alenko stammered a nervous apology.

"W-we thought it best to get her here as quickly as possible-"

"If she was hit by an explosion, Lieutenant, there could very well be spinal damage. Lifting and carrying her like that could have killed her, or rendered her permanently paralyzed."

Her glance at his face, however, quickly softened her expression. "I'm sorry, Kaidan, you didn't deserve that. Here, give me a hand."

He came up to the opposite side of the bed, and at her direction, gently held down Shepard's shoulders as Chakwas carefully unfastened the latches to her helmet and began easing it off. The unfamiliar marine lingered silently in the doorway, watching.

"It wasn't just the explosion that…that Beacon did something to her. It…it was the strangest thing I'd ever seen," Alenko informed her as the helmet slowly slid free.

Chakwas had not yet met Shepard officially. Though she had read her file and expressed her concerns to the Captain in his office, she hadn't actually yet been faced with the woman herself. She had only caught a glimpse of her in passing as Shepard crossed the mess hall, her first thought then only that Shepard seemed a little shorter than she had expected her to be.

She had classic features, lovely but not knock-down gorgeous. Her skin, normally a warm tan, was pale and clammy, rings under her eyes reddened and deepening to faintly purple closer to the lids. She had one of the old Earth Native American tribes in her heritage, Chakwas thought. The genetics brought with them a kind of…noble solemnity.

A strange, ugly bruise darkened one temple, forming a starburst pattern of purples and black. Beneath their lids, her eyes were rolling wildly back and forth. Plucking the tiny pen light up from the tray she peeled back one lid.

The dark brown iris flared chocolate as the light passed over it. Her pupil was tight and non-responsive to the light. The rolling motion continued, and she showed no sign of regaining consciousness.

As Helen checked the other eye, Anderson strode in, his face grim as he regarded his limp XO. "Doctor?"

"There are no broken bones, no internal injuries," Chakwas reported, her eyes lifting to the completed bio-bed scan. "Her brain activity is nearly off the chart, and this eye activity…it's almost as if she's dreaming, but entire sections of her brain are lighting up erratically in ways that just shouldn't be possible. She has a mild concussion, but that hardly explains anything I'm seeing."

"What happened, soldier?" he asked gruffly, his stern eyes shifting from Shepard to the unfamiliar marine. She immediately saluted.

"Chief Ashley Williams, sir," she stated. "It was the Beacon, sir. I've never seen anything like it."

"It was my fault, Captain," Alenko replied, straightening to attention as he turned to face Anderson. "It put out some kind of energy field. It almost felt like it…like it reached out and grabbed me sir. For a second it felt like my implant was going to burn its way right out of my skull. Next thing I knew Shepard was knocking me out of the way of the field."

"It completely suspended her, sir," Williams added. "Lifted her a full meter in the air and then just…held her there."

"Then it exploded?"

"Yes, sir," Alenko answered. "Knocked us off our feet, and it threw her clear across the platform. There wasn't enough of it left to tell if it simply overloaded or if the explosion was deliberate sabotage."

"If this Saren was working with the geth, I wouldn't put it past-" Ashley began, only to break off as Anderson's suddenly icy glare whipped to her.

"Did you say _Saren_?"

"Yes, sir," Alenko responded in her stead. "A dockworker witnessed another turian kill Nihlus. He said that Nihlus called him Saren."

"Did you see this 'Saren?'"

"No, sir. He was gone before we reached the Beacon. Do you know him, sir?"

"In a way. He's another Spectre. This is just terrific…" His voice lowered to a grumble and he rubbed his forehead in irritation a moment before he dropped his hand. "Alenko, go stow your gear. I want a full report in two hours. Williams, was it? I'll need the contact information for your direct superior. You're to remain on board until I speak to them."

"Yes, sir."

"Doctor?" He looked back at Chakwas and her patient, his voice softening slightly as she looked up at him. "Is she going to be all right?"

"Well, medi-gel should help take care of her concussion and this nasty contusion on her head," she said with a puzzled sigh. "As for the rest…I can't say for certain. This brain-wave activity is so strange, I've never seen the like of it…but all the rest of her vitals suggest she is merely sleeping, even if I can't wake her. All we can really do at this point is wait, see if she wakes up on her own."

"Understood. Let me know the moment anything changes. I've got to report to Admiral Hackett and the Council what's happened."

_{Sir, the Olympiad and the Montreal have just entered orbit,} the pilot's voice sounded over the comm. {Medical and clean-up teams are deploying dirt-side.}_

"Understood, Joker. I'll be right up."

"Jenkins, sir…" Alenko ventured wearily.

"I've already got men heading out to bring him home," Anderson murmured, then reached out and put his hand on the biotic's shoulder sympathetically. "Go get settled, Kaidan. It's all right."

As the two marines left the infirmary, Anderson lingered a moment, stepping over to the bio-bed and looking down at Del. As Chakwas watched, he reached out and lightly touched the woman's limp hand.

"Come back to us, marine," he murmured. Then his shoulder's squared and he looked at Helen. "Take good care of her, doctor."

"I will, Captain," she promised, watching him solemnly as he turned and strode out.

* * *

><p>Color was the first to return, soaking into the endless black like water into a sponge. Blurs of light sent lances dancing through her head, sharp teeth digging into her eyes. Sound swiftly followed, a rush at first like a distant river, then muffled voices swathed in wet cotton.<p>

Instinct rose before sense, and her hands lashed outward, a grunt of anxiety erupting unbidden from her throat.

"Commander! Commander, you're all right," a muffled voice soothed as her left hand was caught. The back of her right caught against something hard and edged, and the thin lance of pain that flared through it seemed to burn away the dusky fog.

She blinked once, twice, at the woman looming over her. "Doctor…" she murmured.

"Yes, Dr. Chakwas," the woman replied with a faint smile. "It's good to have you back."

She clenched her eyes shut a moment, then blinked rapidly, trying to focus through the throbbing pain in her head. As she shifted to sit up a gentle hand on her shoulder halted her. "Not so fast," Chakwas chided gently. "There's no hurry. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've got the worst hang-over in the world," Del grumbled with a faint smirk. "But I take it something more happened to me than a night on the town."

"You were on Eden Prime," Chakwas explained. "The Beacon…do you recall?"

The Beacon…yes, that was it. Memory bled through her aching mind. The nuke. The Beacon, left behind on the platform, lit up in sickly greens and yellows. Alenko…something had happened to Alenko, and she'd run forward, and then-

_Screams. Pain. Great hands of black metal, stretching from the tortured sky._

"Yes," she murmured, lifting the heel of her hand to press into her forehead, trying to ease the sharpening of that ache, to erase the strange images that flashed through her mind. "Something happened…Alenko, and then-…is Alenko all right?"

"I'm fine, Commander."

Having just stepped into the infirmary, the lieutenant came to join Chakwas at the edge of the bio-bed. He looked haggard, and tired, but probably a far-sight better than she did at the moment. His forehead was wrinkled in concern.

"Kaidan wasn't hurt," Chakwas told her. "Whatever it was that happened, you got him out of the way before it could really affect him."

"I'm sorry, Commander," Alenko apologized. "I was careless. I must have activated some kind of defense mechanism or energy shield. Then the Beacon exploded and you were knocked cold."

"The Beacon is gone?" she asked, levering herself up on her elbows. The bruise on her forehead was gone thanks to Chakwas' ministrations, but with her mussed hair hanging into her eyes and the still pale tint to her skin, she looked far younger than her actual years. She shook her head, and when Chakwas didn't stop her, continued pushing herself up into a sit. The throb in her head increased for a few heart-beats, a great painful drum that pulsed red, and then died down again. "It was hardly your fault, lieutenant. There was no way to anticipate what happened."

His shoulders slumped a little, but that worried little crease on his forehead didn't ease. "Even so-"

"No more apologies," she said sternly, waiting for his nod of agreement before she looked at the doctor. "So how bad was it?"

"Strange, more than bad," Chakwas answered. "No broken bones or soft tissue impact trauma…you can thank your shields for that. You had a mild concussion which has been resolved."

The odd look on the doctor's face caused Shepard to gently prod, "But…?"

"We recorded some rather unusual brain activity," she admitted. "In all my years as a doctor, I haven't seen anything like it. Nearly your entire brain lit up at once; cerebral cortex, cerebellum, even your entire limbic system. Given the brain waves you should not only have been conscious, but having a mental cascade seizure at the same time."

"What's a 'mental cascade seizure?'" Alenko asked before Shepard could.

"It's an extremely rare phenomenon seen in those suffering from Petit Wahler's Complex…those that survive infancy, that is. Usually around adolescence, their brains suddenly overload in cascade seizures as every synapse abruptly fires at once. Their brain activity goes off the chart, and during the period they are coherent they will start verbally 'dumping' data in an attempt to compensate for the confusion. They'll start frantically reciting the alphabet, whole books worth of text that they've read, blurting out memories or actually reliving past events, usually traumatic, but in the end they experience full synaptic failure as their brain tears itself apart."

At the look on Shepard and Kaidan's face she blinked. "Not…not that this is going to happen _here_!" she quickly amended. "Shepard doesn't have Petit Wahler's, I was merely commenting on the similarity of brain activity. There is no sign of synaptic breakdown of any kind, and no indications that it will happen again."

"Well, that's good to know," Shepard joked dryly.

Shaking her head, still flustered at her faux pas, Chakwas cleared her throat. "You were also experiencing a great deal of rapid eye movement, normally a sign of dreaming. In fact most indications showed you were sleeping, rather than unconscious, but we could not wake you."

"Dreaming? I don't…"

The ache in her head renewed itself. Dreaming. Yes, there had been something, hadn't there?

"I…all I can remember is a confused jumble. Noises, images…I…synthetics? I think there were synthetics…attacking, pain…organics fleeing, torn apart."

"Sounds like a hell of a dream," Alenko lifted his brows. "And a logical one, considering what we'd just seen on Eden Prime."

"I…suppose so. I'm not usually one for bad dreams…"

"Perhaps it wasn't a bad dream," Chakwas ventured. "We have no idea what that Beacon did to you. It was created thousands of years ago, by an alien race we know almost nothing about."

"I should go notify the Captain that she's awake," Alenko excused himself before walking out, giving Shepard a faint smile and a nod as he did so.

"He's been very worried about you," Chakwas confessed after he'd gone. "Guilt, I think."

"Wasn't his fault," Shepard reiterated. "Besides, I have a head like granite. Would take more than a little skull-knock to do any real harm."

Threading a hand behind her neck she stretched and cracked her head sharply from side to side. It helped the lingering headache, but only a little. "How long until I'm fit for duty again?"

"Final say is up to Anderson. Your stats are all normal though no doubt your head is still a bit unhappy."

"Nothing I can't handle. Little headache is nothing."

"No doubt, but even so, no need to suffer needlessly."

Chakwas poured a glass of water and then brought over a small pill, handing them both to Shepard. "Analgesic. Should get rid of the headache in just a couple of minutes."

Obediently Shepard downed the pill, chasing it with a swallow of water. "I appreciate everything you've done, Doc."

"My duty, nothing more…but you're welcome. The crew's morale hasn't been the best since…well, since we received news of Corporal Jenkins. They'll be relieved they don't have to mourn their commander as well."

Though she schooled it exceptionally well, Chakwas could see the woman's jaw tense a little, the light in her eyes dimming ever so slightly.

_She's feeling his loss,_ she noted silently.

"I know that it isn't easy to lose someone under your command," she murmured sympathetically. "From what I understand, there was nothing you could have done."

"There's always something that could have been done," Shepard replied, meeting the doctor's eyes a moment before her gaze shifted to the infirmary door. Anderson stepped in, traces of relief appearing on his face.

"Good to see you awake, Commander." His smile was faint and brief, but more than genuine. "You had us all concerned."

"Well, you did pull me off of shore leave, Captain," she joked dryly. "I was bound and determined to get a hang-over one way or another."

"I see. Well, I suppose your brains can't get any more scrambled than they usually are, anyway."

"Sir, ha ha, sir," she retorted with a smirk and a sarcastic salute.

"Dr. Chakwas, I need to speak to Shepard in private," he probed, looking at his medical officer. The doctor nodded, answering his unspoken question.

"Well, judging by her sense of humor, she should be more than up for it. I suggest she take it easy for the next few hours but I see no reason she can't return to light duty, or discuss weighty matters with her commanding officer. I feel the need for some coffee, at any rate. I'll be in the mess if I'm needed."

As Chakwas left them alone, Shepard got to her feet. Anderson ignored his first instinct, which was to reach out and help her. He had been raised a gentleman, and even now had to sometimes remind himself that female marines…and most especially Shepard…considered such chivalry as a sign that they were viewed as weak. Female or not, Shepard hated relying on anyone, and took even the faintest feelings she had of helplessness as a personal insult. Though she still looked slightly pale, with gray shadows under her eyes, she showed no sign of dizziness or weakness.

On her feet, she nonchalantly leaned against an equipment bay, folding her arms. Though not as bulky as a lot of marines got, Shepard was in top shape, a fact that was only emphasized by the posture she stood in. The muscles and tendons on her arms displayed as if they were carved in marble, and he thought with some internal humor that, in this stance, she looked like a bouncer at a dust-bar in the slums.

"Jenkins…" she ventured softly, after a moment's silence.

"Was not your fault," Anderson said firmly.

"So everyone keeps telling me. He was under my command. I'm responsible."

"The geth are responsible. You're not a goddess, Shepard. You cannot see all ends, no one can. You can't control the galaxy, can't fix it. Like the rest of us you can only do what you can and hope for the best."

She made a non-committal sound, then met his eyes. "I take it Alenko filed a report and you need me to fill in the holes?"

"Both Alenko and Williams have been debriefed, and to be honest what they have told me is more than a little disturbing. A geth invasion, Nihlus murdered by one of his own…not to mention the horrors inflicted on the colonists and scientists."

"Williams is aboard?"

"Her entire unit was killed. I spoke with Alliance Brass and her superiors. She has been officially transferred to the Normandy at my request. According to Kaidan she more than held her own dirt-side."

"She's a fine soldier. If I had a dozen more like her there wouldn't be a race out there that would dare look cross-eyed at the Alliance, or its colonies."

He smirked. "You always did have a way of putting things, Del."

She regarded him with her dark eyes. "What is it I'm not going to like?" she asked. "You never devolve to first names unless you think something's going to piss me off."

He sighed, scrubbing the palm of his hand over his lips a moment. "I'm not going to lie. This is bad, Shep. The Beacon is rubble, Nihlus- murdered. Geth, who haven't been seen in two hundred years, suddenly invading our colony, perpetuating unspeakable horrors on our people. I have Alliance brass breathing down my neck wanting to know what went wrong, and this could be all the excuse needed to bin any hope of a human Spectre for the next five decades."

"And what else should I have done?" She demanded hotly. He lifted his hands.

"I don't blame you, Shep. No one should. At the very least, because of you the colony is still standing instead of blanketed in fall-out. You're a hero, anyone with eyes can see it. But even getting the Council this far has been like pulling teeth from an angry rhino. This will be more than enough for the Council races to decide humanity is not ready, to open a huge investigation that will tear everything we've done apart to be scrutinized."

"I'll talk to them, then. Explain what happened," she replied. "I'll file any report or submit to any interview I need to."

"It's already being done. We're on our way to the Citadel right now. Ambassador Udina has been trying to run interference, give us an audience with the Council. Hopefully they'll listen, but they aren't going to like this, Shepard. Especially since our accusations will land directly upon one of their own."

"That turian, the one that shot Nihlus," she murmured. "Saren."

"Saren Arterius," Anderson echoed, the faintest hint of a growl in his deep voice. "Unfortunately one of the longest serving and most respected of the Council Spectres."

"He's a murderer is what he is," Shepard retorted hotly. "A murderer and a coward."

"And the only proof we have that he was even there is that dockworker, Powell. And as much as I hope I'm wrong, I doubt the half-sureties of some terrified human is going to pull much sway."

The muscles on either side of her jaw were cording under tension, but her voice was soft and even…a dangerous sign to those who knew her well, an ill-boding to anyone who stood in her way.

"I will find a way to convince them."

"I hope so, Shep," he replied. "I wish the Beacon hadn't been destroyed. Knowing what information was contained in it would have helped, shown what it was that the geth, at least, were after. There was no hint as to what was recorded in it? No clue?"

Should she tell him about the dream? It was still so confusing, nothing but shards of broken images, like shattered glass. Even trying to recall them now brought up nothing but a jumble of death, pain, and destruction that made her stomach clench and her skin go cold.

Licking her lips, she dropped her arms at her side, gripping the edge of the equipment bank. "I saw…something. For all I know, it was simply a strange nightmare caused by my concussion…that blast. Some kind of dream."

"A dream?" His brows lifted in surprise. "About what?"

She shook her head helplessly. "It makes no sense. Mostly just images, sounds, smells…pictures and feelings scattered around. It was like, I was being killed, massacred, in a thousand different ways. Enormous synthetics, I think, tearing the sky apart, and fire…"

He was scrutinizing her intensely. She made no mention about the other images, shreds of past traumas, old wounds well-buried and best forgotten. Those parts had at least felt like her. The rest had felt like something else.

"Perhaps the Beacon was malfunctioning, attempting to impart to you the information it carried," he ventured after a moment. "The sky tearing apart, fire…perhaps there were plans for some massive weapon, hidden in the Beacon, buried away from those who would try and use it. It would explain why Saren and the geth would want it. We need to tell the Council of this as well."

She groaned faintly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Because that won't sound crazy at all."

"I need to include this in the report, Shepard," Anderson insisted. She made a helpless gesture of commiseration. His gaze softened.

"Look, it's just after 2200. We won't be to the Citadel for at least another nine hours. Get some rest. Report back for duty at 0600."

I could use a cigar and a stiff drink…or three, she thought, knowing she would have neither aboard ship. The analgesic had helped but her head still gave off a red-hot pulse now and again, and her thoughts couldn't seem to settle. Straightening she stood at attention and saluted. "Yes, sir."

He lifted his hand to his brow in return, then stepped over, placing an affectionate hand on her shoulder. "We'll get it done, Shep. We always do."

* * *

><p>Shepard had been to nearly every hairy, sweaty armpit-hole in Alliance space…most of which, sadly, were on Earth. Her old crew-mates and those of her friends…what few friends she had…had always wondered why she chose to spend her shore-leave in such disgusting places, though none would dare ask her directly.<p>

Truth was, they were the only places off-ship where Shepard actually felt at home.

She'd have taken the worst of them right this moment, rather than be in this clean, white, sterilized office.

The air was surprisingly fresh for a space-station. Artificial sunlight poured over the wide balcony, the smell of grass, water, and the rustle of trees floating in. Alenko and Williams were at the railing, admiring the view and doing their best not to intrude on the rather terse conversation behind them.

The only difference, Shepard decided, between the man standing in front of her and the slimiest reprobate from the darkest slum on Earth was a sharp suit. Politicians were only another kind of criminal. She preferred the ones that were at least honest about themselves.

And he was giving her a dressing down. This skinny, sour-faced grey-haired little bastard that looked as if she could snap him in half over her knee…_he_ was giving _her_ a dressing down.

"I know you marines, more brawn than brain-cells," he was yapping. "You would rather hit a problem than deal with it properly, and what have you to show for it? A dead Spectre? A decimated colony? I hope you are proud of yourself, Commander. You single-handedly set your entire race back to the Stone Age as far as the Council is concerned. You-"

Seeing the hot, dangerous little sparks starting to light in Shepard's eyes, Anderson wisely ran interference. "You cannot blame her for this. Shepard's the only reason the Eden Prime colony is still standing. And the Council is at least willing to hear us out."

He gestured at the holographic pads, where just a moment ago the three Councilors had been projected. They hadn't sounded even remotely pleased, but at least they were granting an audience. It was a toe in the door, if nothing else. Ambassador Udina, however, didn't seem to see it that way.

"Likely only to prove to everyone just how primitive and unreliable we humans are," Udina retorted. "If we had sent a mentally-deviant shaved _gorilla_ to Eden Prime we'd have had better results!"

"Unfortunately, one wasn't available, sir," Shepard said, her voice deadly calm. Udina's eyes narrowed, and then he flapped a hand dismissively.

"We will just have to hope Citadel Security finds evidence against Saren Arterius, enough to at least lend weight to our claims. I'm not even sure I am convinced of them myself. All we have is a dockworker and a bad dream."

"Saren is a traitor. You know that as well as I, Ambassador," Anderson accused sharply. "Shepard has always served the Alliance proudly. If she says it was Saren, then it was Saren."

"Oh, yes. I'm sure the men and women who died on Torfan would have nothing but accolades to shower down on Shepard."

There was a faint creak as Shepard's gloved right hand clenched into a fist, her only reaction to his words.

"That's not fair," Anderson said angrily. "And it has nothing to do with the current situation."

"Yes, it does. You had better believe the Council will have it in mind when we meet with them," Udina warned. "True or not, fair or not, all they will do is look at this mess and remember Torfan. Do you know what I had to go through just to get them to even entertain the notion of Shepard as a Spectre?"

"I'm sure it was torturous for you," Anderson replied. To his credit, only a hint of sarcasm shone through in his words.

The Ambassador made a sound to show the tone had not escaped him, before he scratched at his short gray hair. "At this point, all we can do is try and run interference, salvage what we can of the situation and hope that that Council is open-minded enough to listen to us. I expect you and Shepard to be at the meeting in one hour."

His baleful, watery gaze fixed Shepard's. "I do trust you know how to read a _watch_ properly, Commander?"

She inclined her head slightly. "I do. I also know how to break down and reassemble sixteen different types of weapons, configure and repair a Mark-1 navigational drive, and snap a man's neck with one hand. Sir."

"Yes, well…" His eyes narrowed even further as he tried to decide if that was a threat, or not. Giving another weak flap of his hand he mumbled, "Dismissed until the meeting. Anderson, I want you to stay here. We have a lot to discuss."

"Yes, sir," Anderson replied, and then stepped a few feet away with Shepard.

"Don't let him get to you. He's under a lot of stress."

"He'd have to give me a reason to care about his opinion, sir," Del told him. "So far, I would take the words of a lobotomized Chankan toad more to heart than his."

"Yes, well," Anderson couldn't help the momentary grin, before he shook his head. "Unfortunately, he's right about the Council. Hopefully we can get them to listen to reason, but our evidence is thin at best. I will see you on the Presidium in an hour, Commander."

She saluted with a nod, then turned and headed out of the far too white office, Williams and Alenko retreating after her. As soon as the door had closed, Williams let out an angry breath.

"You have far more patience than I have, Commander," she confessed. "Had he said something like that to me, he'd be counting his teeth."

"Satisfying as that would have been, the court-martial afterward would have been less amusing," Alenko pointed out.

"I'd rather not give that little worm the satisfaction," Shepard replied. "C'mon. We have an hour and it won't take nearly that long to get to the Council chambers. Time to dawdle."

Williams laughed at Shepard's thin grin. "Dawdling it is."

"Funny, I never took you for a dawdler," Alenko chimed in with a chuckle as they headed down the stairs to street-level.

"Alenko," Shepard crooned with amusement. "The things that you don't know about me could fill a universe."

* * *

><p>The meeting with Udina had left a sour taste in her mouth, and the bright cheerfulness of the Citadel she found only grating.<p>

She had been there only once before in her life, and it was clear from the way they were gawking about that Williams and Alenko had never before visited. Everything…at least, everything here on the Presidium, was clean and cheerful and bright, with vivid colors standing out against the white walkways.

A patchwork of faces formed a sea of races that spanned almost the entirety of the galaxy. Most were asari, turian and salarian; the three Council races. Only slightly less common were human and the squat, round volus. Elcor moved like great slow islands in this sea, and now and again the shimmering pink of a hanar surfaced and then vanished.

On the whole, Shepard had no problem with other species. Way she figured it, they were just folk trying to get by, like anyone else. As most anyone from Earth she had a lingering suspicion of turians that stemmed back to the First Contact War, and a slightly stronger animosity toward the batarians thanks to Torfan. Batarians, however, were never seen on the Citadel; she'd have to head out to the Terminus to run into that lot.

Of all of them, she supposed the asari were the ones that most fascinated her. A monogendered species, asari appeared elegantly female. Even the mercenaries had an unnatural grace about them, and a sort of wisdom glimmered deep in the eyes of even the youngest of them. She had read a lot about asari culture, finding herself fascinated most especially by their distant past. Thousands of years ago, before they had progressed to the point they were able to leave their home world, the asari had a strong tribal culture that shone through even now, something that appealed to her sense of commonality. Though Shepard did not truly know who here parents were, part of the Alliance medical exams was full genetic scanning. The scans revealed that while she had some Nordic, some Turkish, and a touch of Slavic in her blood, predominantly she shared markers with the Old Earth Native American tribes, the Choctaw in particular.

Spying a small deli that seemed to have predominantly human patrons, Shepard excused herself from the other two and went inside, determined to clear that sour taste from her mouth. While a warm sake would be ideal, she would have to settle for something non-alcoholic for now.

Williams and Alenko lingered just outside, talking together while Shepard went in and purchased a small bottle of boba tea.

Cracking it open she turned to step out of the diner just as someone entered hastily, bumping into her sharply. Barely managing to prevent her tea from spilling she lightly caught the man's arm as they steadied themselves.

"You ok?" she asked, but he didn't even look at her, mumbling an apology that seemed more habit than conscious thought as he quickly continued on his chosen path.

The man was middle-aged, with closely cropped dark hair that was liberally going to gray. Neatly groomed, she could tell he was normally of fairly dignified bearing. Right now, however, his face was flushed, his eyes reddened. Pausing, she narrowed her eyes as she watched him.

He stalked up to a table where a younger man sat by himself, reading off a thin pad and sipping at a cup of coffee. The older man tapped a finger sharply on the table. "This…this is unacceptable, Mr. Bosker," he blurted, his accented voice tense with emotion. He cast down another small pad after he drew it from his pocket, threw it in front of the younger man. "You see? I am refused! How can they refuse me?"

"Mr. Bhatia, please, calm down," Bosker soothed. "I explained to you that this might happen. Sad as it is-"

"Sad?" Mr. Bhatia demanded loudly, his voice ragged. "Is that all you have to say to me? This is _sad_?"

Patrons were looking up from their meals. Bosker, clearly trying to avoid a scene, held up his hands and murmured quietly. "Mr. Bhatia, please, sit down. Let me get you something to drink-"

"I don't want something to drink, I want this to be fixed! I want my wife home, do you understand?"

"Please, calm down. I want to help, I do…please sit down-"

"Stop telling me to sit! I sat on a transport for two days to get here. I sat in a lobby at the ambassador's office for three hours only to be told to see you. You tell me to sit and wait at the Alliance Relations office until they regretfully say there is nothing they can do, and now you want me to sit again?"

"Mr. Bhatia-"

Shepard started forward, setting the boba tea on a table as the older man plucked up the pad he had cast down, and threw it at Bosker's chest. As Bosker caught it, startled, Bhatia grabbed the front of his suit, half pulling the younger man out of his chair.

"I don't want to hear how sad it is again! I want you to _fix_ this!"

"Hey, hey, calm down there," Shepard grabbed the man's arm gently but firmly, forcing him to release Bosker. As Bosker stood up she remained between them, holding a palm toward the younger man but facing the older. "What's going on?"

"They have taken my wife and refuse to give her back," Bhatia half-shouted, half-sobbed, jabbing a finger over her shoulder at Bosker.

"Look, I want to help," Shepard told him, ducking her head to the side to make eye-contact with him. "Listen to me. I will help you. But I need you to explain to me what's going on. Take a deep breath, and calm down."

As he met her eyes, his shoulders and head seemed to sag in exhaustion. She could see the dark circles under his eyes, the emotion lining every crease of his face. As he stepped back a pace, lifting a hand to rub over his face, Shepard glanced over his shoulder to see Alenko and Williams, drawn by the commotion, were watching near one wall.

Without moving out from between the two men, Shepard turned her head and looked at Bosker. "Tell me what's going on. What's this about his wife?"

"Mr. Bhatia is simply upset, and with good reason," Bosker said. "His wife was recently…well, she recently passed away."

"She was killed on Eden Prime," Bhatia interjected, lifting his head. "She was a marine, protecting an archeology dig site when they were invaded. The Alliance recovered the bodies and then I was told she had been brought here. I have been sent across half of this station but no one will help me. I just want to bring her back home for proper burial, but they keep turning me away…say that she is being held, that they want to run _experiments_-"

"_What_?" Shepard's sympathetic gaze turned as hard as stone as she looked at Bosker again.

"The Eden Prime colony was the victim of a…unique kind of attack," Bosker hedged, clearly aware of his civilian audience as the other diners watched the commotion. "Mrs. Bhatia's body has injuries of a kind the Alliance has never before seen. She is being held at this time for study, to understand the kinds of weapons that yield such damage-"

"Cut the crap," Shepard said in a low, calm voice that foretold danger and pain. "I'm a marine, if you couldn't tell by the uniform. I was _on_ Eden Prime."

"Then you should understand what I'm talking about," Bosker replied gently. "And understand the need we have to study-"

"Bull. Clean-up crews scanned every inch of that colony, every single body that was found. I scanned one or two myself. Samples were taken, every iota of technology even slightly strange confiscated. No doubt final autopsy scans were taken as well. There's absolutely _no_ need to hold anyone for dissection."

"With all due respect, you are a soldier, not a doctor," Bosker answered timidly. "Our scientists have determined that Mrs. Bhatia's wounds are one-of-a-kind, even compared to the other victims. We need the chance to examine them in more detail. It could take years, and it could possibly help us to develop weapons that could counter-act-"

"Enough. Let me speak to you as a soldier then, Mr. Bosker, since you don't seem to be listening to me as a human being. If his wife was a marine, then she was a hero. She gave her life so people just like you could dress up in nice suits and push papers and gush about how sympathetic you are. People like us die every day for people like you. They deserve more than being cut up like guinea pigs in return. Or are you honestly going to look me in the eye and tell me that's all that she is to you?"

Bosker didn't seem able to look her in the eye at all. He swallowed convulsively, his brow wrinkling, smoothing, and then wrinkling again before he finally cleared his throat. "I…will speak to my superiors again. I will do what I can to get her body released this afternoon."

"Good," she replied, and then snatched up the thin PDA from the table, tapping into its HI. "This is the contact information for Captain David Anderson, and Admiral Steven Hackett. You tell your superiors to call them if they have any problems with what we've discussed here. Understand?"

"Yes, of- of course."

She tossed the pad back down on the table, then turned to Bhatia. "They give you any more grief, you remember those names. Captain David Anderson, Admiral Steven Hackett. Hell, I'll escort you personally to the Ambassador's office if I need too."

"I…thank you. I don't know what to say. I...thank you."

"No," Shepard shook her head once, firmly. "Your wife is the one that needs to be thanked, not me."

Stepping past him she snatched up her tea again and strode out of the diner. Williams and Alenko exchanged confused glances as they chased after her.

"What was that all about?" Alenko asked, revealing the altercation hadn't been quite as loud as Shepard had thought.

"Nothing. Just reminding a suit how grateful he should be for Alliance Marines."

"Let it go, LT," Williams said as Shepard took a draught of her tea. "I'm sure Shepard did the right thing."

"Course she did," Alenko replied. "It's just…breaking up fights on the Citadel is for C-Sec, not us. A military censure-"

"We need to get moving if we're going to be to the meeting on time," Shepard interrupted sternly. "I don't want to be late for being lectured again by politicians. I do _love_ me a lecture."

Her pointed glower fixed his gaze and he nodded slowly. "Point taken, Commander."

* * *

><p>The Council chambers were beautiful, though Williams did point out in true, military fashion the defensibility of the place. The promontory on which the Council themselves stood was separated from the platform the lowly humans were relegated too. A great red hologram of a turian seemed to scowl down at the scene from on high, towering over even the Council members. Shepard needed no introduction to know this was Saren Arterius himself, and the meeting went about as she had expected.<p>

Their evidence was torn apart with barely a breath. Even Powell's testimony was cast aside as worthless, the turian Councilor even snidely suggesting,-when Udina questioned how a dock-worker could even know Saren's name unless he had overheard it-that perhaps the dock-worker had gotten the name from Captain Anderson, implying that the man was coached.

Shepard remained silent through most of it, speaking only when directly asked a question. Most of her attention was focused on the hologram, committing every crag and scar of the face to memory.

The Council dismissed them, citing lack of proof…hardly surprising. Udina was red-hot under the collar as a result, Anderson frustrated. In the midst of the arguing, Udina suddenly shifted the blame onto Anderson, suggesting that it was his history with Saren that caused the whole thing to fall apart. Shepard, silent and uninvolved until that point, could no longer remain so.

"Look, I told you they weren't going to believe the evidence we had. A single dock-worker and a bad dream? You're lucky they didn't have the lot of us committed. I don't know how Anderson knows Saren and to be frank, I don't really care, but this isn't his fault. If you want to get anywhere then I suggest we find some actual hard evidence."

"Much as I dislike your attitude, you are correct," Udina glared. "This comes down to proof, and we do not have it. C-Sec was conducting its own investigation. The officer in charge seemed to think he was close to coming up with something, perhaps we should talk to him and see if he has any leads we can follow."

Shepard wasn't fooled. "'_We_' meaning '_me_', I take it."

"Contrary to what you might believe, Shepard, I _am_ an extremely busy man," Udina shot. "And I can't have Anderson running around the Citadel asking questions and further proving that he has some kind of vendetta against Arterius. So yes, I mean you."

"You sure a 'shaved gorilla' like me can handle it?"

"That's enough," Anderson broke in, pointing at her firmly.

"You need to talk with your XO, Captain," Udina snorted. "She is forgetting her place. I have work I need to get done. Can I trust you to handle this?"

Anderson's jaw flexed tightly, even as he nodded. Udina smirked and turned on his heel, heading away. The blast of air the Captain let out as soon as he was gone sounded remarkably like a muffled insult. He rubbed his face.

"Look, Shepard, I know he's…difficult, but he _is_ the Ambassador. Sometimes even I feel like decking him but spending the rest of my life in a cell on a prison colony somewhere is less appealing."

"As you say," she grumped, folding her arms.

"You're a good soldier, Shepard, and a good person. You're above the likes of him, so don't let him get to you. As for this investigation…I don't know the name of the C-Sec officer in charge, and it's probably not a wise idea to go asking for him directly at C-Sec headquarters either, not if we want to keep as low a profile as possible. There's a human officer by the name of Harkness. He's a drunk with the brains of a boiled fish. He's on suspension right now but it's still likely he'll be able to give us a name, and he's less likely to go spilling to C-Sec or anyone important that we asked him. I'd start with him. He lives in an apartment block on the Wards, and spends most of his nights in Chora's Den, a dive bar nearby." Anderson smirked. "And I know how much you hate dive bars."

Despite herself she chuckled. "Didn't know they had them on the Citadel. I'll start there, poke around a bit."

"Do so. I'll either meet you back aboard the Normandy after 1500 or in the Ambassador's office. I'll have my phone on me if you need me."

Saluting, she gave him a grin before she turned and headed out of the chambers. Alenko and Williams were both still waiting, lingering near a fountain. Alenko was perched on a bench and seemed merely to be people-watching, but Williams looked downright impatient. Spotting Shepard she immediately headed for her.

"Well?"

"Went about as good as I'd hoped. At least the Council didn't wet themselves laughing at us."

"So what now?" Alenko asked, getting to his feet.

"So now we find something even the Council can't laugh at," Shepard replied. "And it involves going to a bar."

Williams grinned, falling in behind her as Shepard headed toward a transit terminal. Alenko blinked, certain he hadn't heard right. "A _bar_?"

"You coming or not?" Shepard called to him as she selected a call for a taxi. He trotted a few steps to catch up to them as the taxi swung in and landed.

"Are we really going to a bar?"

"I sure hope so," Williams said, slapping him lightly on the back. "I could use a drink, and given how stiff your spine is, I'm sure you can use one yourself. Or ten."

"We're on duty-"

"Would you relax and get in?" Shepard ordered. "C'mon, Alenko, she's _joking_."

"I-…yeah, ok, I just…well, sometimes it's hard to tell with you two."

* * *

><p>There is a particular sound produced when a head meets a solid object with force. When heard, the sound was either satisfying or horrible…in this case, it was most satisfying.<p>

The smack as Harkness's head met the bar-top was loud enough to be heard even over the thundering music. The asari dancer over the bar, skin-tight cat-suit shimmering in the strobing lights, even halted her gyrations for a moment , startled.

"None of that in my bar," the turian bartender grumped, his mandibles flapping in irritation.

"Don't worry, this is done with," Shepard said calmly as she crouched. Her fingers curled in the front of Harkness's shirt as she yanked the dazed man close. His forehead was bleeding impressively.

"You're crazy," he spat, and tried half-heartedly to tug away. She gave him another yank.

"This is _done with_, isn't it?" she growled.

"Ow…yeah…" Lifting a hand he pressed it to the wound. "You gave me a concussion-"

"You think this uniform is for _show_?" Shepard narrowed her eyes angrily. "You need to learn some respect, for the uniform _and_ for women in general, don't you think?"

"Yeah…yeah, whatever you say…"

"Now let's start again and see if we can't manage a conversation without you trying to grab me. Who is in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren Arterius?"

"T-turian," he stammered. "Stick-in-the-mud named Garrus…Garrus Vakarian. Empty job, there was no way he was going to be able to _find_ anything…Spectre activities are so classified they fart and you need forms in triplicate and a Councilor's permission just to smell it. Frustrated the hell out of him-"

"I'll bet." She released him and stood up. As she turned to go he weakly grabbed a barstool and pulled himself to his feet again.

"He won't be at the department." He grimaced as he probed the cut on his head again, snatching up a napkin and pressing it to the wound. "He was in here twenty minutes ago, asking questions."

"What questions?" she asked as she paused and glared at him.

"_I don't know_! I didn't hear them. I did hear the name 'Michel' though, before he left. Probably that annoying simpering doctor at the clinic over on Fleet, in the Wards. What a whiny doctor has to do with Arterius I couldn't tell you."

Without a word Shepard continued on her way out, weaving through the crowd to the door. As soon as it slid shut behind her the music cut off as if someone had thrown a switch. Whatever else one could say about the Citadel, its sound dampening system was top notch.

She was alone for now. Alenko and Williams were out chasing up a couple of other leads. She called up a taxi and as soon as she was inside she drew her battered cigar case from a pouch on her belt and tapped one out.

At the first detection of smoke a gentle 'bing' sounded before a pleasant, artificial voice filtered through the air. "Citadel Transportation Services would like to remind all passengers there is no smoking in public transport vehicles. Thank you for your cooperation."

Shepard took a long draw on the stogie and purposefully blew at the tiny detectors. The bing repeated again, as did the message. Smirking without mirth, she carefully scrubbed out the cherry, then replaced the smoke back in the tin.

The trip to Fleet in the Wards only took a few minutes. When the taxi landed it only took a moment to find the small medical clinic in the public directory.

The faint smell of antiseptic and medi-gel wafted over her as the doors parted, revealing a most curious scene.

"Who are you?"

Shepard's pistol snapped up to aim at the thug's forehead, even as turned his own pistol toward her, his other arm still clamped around the neck of a petite, redheaded civvie in scrubs. Hostage. And Thug wasn't alone. At least two others stood nearby, blinking stupidly at her.

Shepard's eyes didn't move from the one with the hostage, not even giving the slightest flicker toward the turian crouched, hidden behind a short wall-partition. When she spoke, her voice was deadly business.

"Let her go."

"Not likely," Thug growled as his two compatriots finally started drawing their side-arms.

The hidden turian swung around, his pistol flashing once. Even as Thug's head snapped back, his arms going limp. Shepard coolly adjusted her aim, and pulled the trigger twice.

The civvie, the doctor, stumbled back on weak legs, catching herself on the wall in an attempt to keep from falling. Her face as white as paper, she stared at the trio of dead men and the dark rivers of crimson slowly drifting over the floor.

"Dr. Michel, are you all right?" the turian asked, shipping his gun and striding over, catching hold of her. She blinked at him in shock, not resisting as he lowered her into a chair.

"Wh-what? Y-yes, I…I _think_ I'm all right," she breathed, and mopped a trembling hand over her forehead. Shepard grimly looked over the dead men before she shipped her own pistol and looked at the turian.

"Vakarian, I'm assuming." She folded her arms. "That was a nice shot."

"Yours weren't too bad either," he said, and looked at her. "I'm sorry, you have me at a disadvantage…"

"Commander Del Shepard. Been looking for you." Her gaze shifted to the woman. "Dr. Michel, right? Who were these losers?"

"They were s-sent…they were asking about T-Telli, or Tuli…I-I forget her name, the…the quarian. Fist-.."

"Fist sent them?" Vakarian scowled a bit. "What's this about a quarian?"

"She showed up at the clinic last night. She'd been shot, begged me not to contact C-Sec. I know I should have, but-"

"It's all right," Vakarian reassured.

Her eyes were hollowed, her face still a little pale. She kept looking at the bodies on the ground, her eyes dancing away only to return to them. Since she was a doctor it was probably not the blood that seemed to fascinate her. She was still trying to process the fact that someone had held a gun to her head and she was still alive.

Crouching over one of the bodies, Shepard began rifling his pockets as Michel continued.

"She…the quarian…said she had some information on the Geth…she wanted to trade it to the Shadow Broker for protection. I…I set up a call with Fist for her…he's an agent."

"The Geth, you're sure?" Shepard looked up. Crouched over the body, her dark eyes narrowed and keenly intent, she looked remarkably predatorial. Michel shrank back a little, hugging herself.

"Y-yes, that's what she said."

"Fist isn't a Broker agent anymore," Vakarian said angrily. "Word in the ducts is he's working for Arterius now."

"This Fist isn't the brightest fly in the jar, is he?" Shepard grunted. "Might as well have signed his own death warrant."

"He's a two bit thug," Vakarian agreed. "More muscle than brains. The only reason he has any pull or respect is because he owns Chora's Den, and because he's a known agent."

Shepard straightened from her search. The asshole was clean, not even a pocket id. "Looks like I'm heading _back_ to the strip club, then. There's at least one more head that deserves to meet the bar-top."

"I'll come with you," Vakarian straightened.

"I don't need a tagalong."

"Look, I know who you are and what you're trying to do," Vakarian replied tersely. "We have the same goal. I've been given this case and everything I've managed to dig up says only one thing to me; Saren's dirty. I don't like being stonewalled but that's what's been happening every step of the way. I'm not going to stay here like a good little lap dog on the word of one human Alliance soldier."

"Is that so?"

"That is most _inarguably_ so," he growled.

"You'd be shocked at what I can _argue_, turian," she snapped. "As it is, you're at least a half-way decent shot, and I know how it feels to be slapped in the face with bureaucracy…and you know this Fist. So get yourself squared up if you're coming along."

One mandible shifted slightly in what could be classified, in turians, as a sardonic grin, and he nodded. Turning to Michele he said, "Stay here. I'm sending for a C-Sec team to come in to the clinic. They'll get our 'friends' here taken care of and take a statement, all right?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes…yes, thank you. And…help that quarian if you can. She seemed like a sweet girl, and scared."

"We'll do what we can," he said. Shepard was already heading for the door as he called up his omni-tool and sent the message off to C-Sec, stepping over the body of the man he'd shot as if it wasn't even there.

The turian was sullen, quiet as they made their way through the Wards and back toward the club. That sat just fine with Shepard, who was hardly interested in conversation. She was _far_ more concerned with the krogan.

In the shifting clots of people along the sidewalks, the krogan was doing a remarkably good job at following them and being inconspicuous. It had taken her a while to even notice him…and krogan were made to stick out.

Eight feet tall and mortared with mean, krogan were built for one thing: fighting. Not the lithe, aristocratic battle of the asari or the stealthy, precise strikes of the salarians, krogan were walking tanks, mountains of muscle, thick skin, hard plate. She had little direct experience with them, but it had been drilled into her head from the moment she entered boot; to fight a krogan, you stayed as far away from them as possible and hit them with the biggest ammo you could, as fast as you could. You got in close, and you might as well break your own neck and save everyone the trouble.

This particular krogan seemed weathered, battered, and more than intent, yet he did not part the crowds like a boulder in water. He moved with them, accepting the flow, melding with it. He did not fight nature, and knew how to keep out of sight. Even the turian hadn't noticed him.

"Your people are coming?" Vakarian asked, breaking the silence.

"Williams and Alenko will meet us there," she confirmed. "How hard are we going to have to lean on this Fist?"

"Not hard. Like most thugs he thinks he farts gold dust but he's a coward at heart. Shove a gun in his face, maybe break a couple of fingers, he'll spill his guts."

She eyed him. "You sound a bit merc for a cop," she noted.

"If it gets us what we're after, I'll be as merc as you need," he grumbled back.

"Here. Cut through here," she gestured at a small side alley, one that was far quieter than the street. The turian shook his head, barely glancing at it.

"That way will take twice as long. We're nearly there."

"You want to be merc, C-Sec? Then shut your flaps. The alley."

Without waiting to see if he'd follow she shoved past him and strode into the side street. Within steps the steady rumble of the crowd dimmed. Her eyes flicked over all the doorways, each alcove, nook or shady spot that presented itself. Predictably, C-Sec had followed her.

"What are we doing?"

"There, _go_." She grabbed his arm and pushed him toward one of the doorways. A pile of crates stood nearby. With a hop she was on top of them, squatting down. Drawing out the stogie she'd started in the taxi, she lit it.

The turian, clearly confused, nevertheless faded into the doorway, mandibles working in agitation. A few moments later, the krogan strode openly into the alleyway. The shifting lights dimmed his scarred face into shadow but lit his eyes like fire. Though he carried half a dozen weapons on his back, he made no move to draw any of them, smirking a little as he drew to a halt. His voice was like gravel, deep enough almost to be felt more than heard.

"So, you _did_ notice I was following you. Impressive for a human."

"I'll add it to my resume," she replied calmly. She held her cigar case out. "You smoke?"

"Not that weak leaf," he scoffed. "Stuff I would smoke would make your mouth bleed and your lungs hemorrhage."

"Suit yourself." She tucked the case away again.

"How do you know I'm not here to kill you?" he demanded.

"If I was the one you were really after, I doubt we'd even be having a conversation. Krogan didn't really strike me as the type to chat before turning their prey into a smear on the wall."

"Don't be stupid, turian," he rumbled in return, barely glancing toward the shadowed doorway as Vakarian tried to ease his gun out. "I'd win."

Garrus scowled but moved his hand away from his gun. Shepard shifted until she sat flat on the crate, legs dangling.

"You hired muscle?" she asked the brute. "If you're following me but I'm not your target, you're after one of four things. You either want to get to Fist, you want to get to the quarian, you want Saren, or you think I'm especially cute."

"Lady, I'd break you in half," the krogan replied with a faint chuckle.

"_Promise?_" Shepard asked wickedly, then waved her hand a little, making the smoke from her stogie coil and slither like a snake. "My money is on Fist. Do I win?"

He rumbled thoughtfully, then bobbed his head. "I was hired by the Shadow Broker to 'educate' Fist."

"Is Fist going to survive this education?"

"You don't hire a krogan if you want survival," the merc pointed out.

"Well, far be it for me to interfere in the Broker's business. But I need some intel from Fist and I can't have you twisting his head off before I get it."

"Tell you what. We get to Fist and you can ask him whatever you want before I air him out. Broker just wants him dead. I don't care what the canary sings before I pluck him."

"I think we have an understanding then."

She scuffed out the butt of her smoke, pitching it aside as she hopped off the crate. "Name's Shepard. The turian is Garrus."

"Wrex," he rumbled with a faint nod of introduction.

"Yes, I'm sure you _do_," Shepard smirked. Her radio crackled and she tapped the receiver.

"Go."

_{Commander? Williams,}_ Ashley's voice filled her ear. _{Alenko and I are here but it looks like the club is shut down, sealed tight. Feels hinky…if I had to guess I'd say Fist knows we're coming.}_

"Stay in position. We'll be there in a few minutes. Out."

"You _knew_ he was following us?" Vakarian asked as he stepped back out into the alleyway, watching the krogan distrustfully.

"Surprises me is that you _didn't_, C-Sec. You're too used to petty criminals and gangsters. You need to learn how to recognize a real predator when it's behind you."

"Or in front of you," Wrex murmured as Shepard stepped past and headed toward the mouth of the alleyway.

* * *

><p>Williams and Alenko were hunkered on the walkway that crossed to the entrance of the club. The entire block was deserted, the club closed, even its neon dark. Williams had been right; the whole thing felt hinky as hell.<p>

"Picking up strays?" Williams asked in surprise as Shepard crouched beside them, eyeing Vakarian and Wrex.

"My rule is, if they follow me home I get to keep them," Del joked dryly. "We got any idea what's inside?"

"Not really, haven't seen a soul go in or out."

"My guess would be hired meatheads used to pushing around civvies," Kaidan told her. "Still, in enough numbers and with the cover they'll have in there, could be rough."

"We'll take it careful. I want you two in flanking, laying down cover-fire as the three of us go in. Kaidan left, Williams right, follow the clock once we're through the door. Our aim is the back office."

"Aye ma'am."

"Curtain's up. Let's go."

Shepard drew her rifle, keeping under cover but focusing on the door as Williams and Alenko moved into position. The turian, his own rifle drawn, mirrored her position on the opposite side of the walkway. Both marines flanked the door, Williams activating her omni-tool and reaching out only long enough to short the door lock.

As soon as it slid open, gunfire bloomed from the darkness beyond. Shepard pegged two gray shadows just inside and Vakarian downed a third as the marines swung in low. The krogan, seemingly unconcerned with the gunfire, strode straight down the middle, shotgun igniting with a booming roar of flame. He laughed.

"Follow the walking suit of armor," Shepard shouted at Garrus, then headed in for the door, keeping her scope up.

The marines followed the clock, Williams circling the club counter-clockwise, Alenko clockwise, staying as close to the wall as they were able and putting a bullet in anyone that popped up with a gun. Wrex strode right up the middle, barking a laugh each time his shotgun ignited.

The faintest motion drew her attention, and Shepard's scope snapped to focus on the form lurking on the stripper platform over the bar. Barely had the meathead there lifted his gun than she put him down.

Twenty seconds. That was all the time it took from the moment the door popped open until the first shouts of 'clear!' were filling the air. A dozen hired meatheads lay dead or incapacitated, littering the room.

Without lowering her weapon, Shepard swung it to focus on the door to the back offices, gesturing to Williams to unlock it. As it popped open, no gunfire came. Only a faintly dim light and silence greeted them.

She edged in, tensing when a suddenly shaking hand lifted a gun up over an overturned table. Large eyes in a pale face peeked over at her as the trembling weapon seemed to aim everywhere but at its target. "Don't…don't come any further," a tremulous voice warned. "I'll…I'll _shoot_!"

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she murmured, lowering her scope. Striding forward she pushed the table out of the way, easily snatching the pistol from the man's hand.

He looked like a fry-cook or a janitor, barely more than a kid and shaking like a leaf. He squeaked as she snatched his gun away, then cowered, hands waving frantically. "Don't shoot!" he screamed. "Don't kill me!"

"Get out of here, kid," she barked. "Find a new job."

Scrambling away from her he managed to get to his feet, bolting past Williams and Alenko. As he neared the door Wrex appeared and the boy shrieked in surprise. The krogan made no move to hurt him, just lowered his head and growled.

"Boo."

The cook jumped back, crashing into the door-jamb. Gasping, mouth flapping frantically but unable to make any sound, he finally managed to get enough control back to flee.

Now Del was angry. Shorting the final door easily with her own omni-tool, she shipped her rifle and pulled her pistol, making sure everyone was out of line of sight before slapping the door open.

Fire bloomed amongst the rapid, chain-link cough of an automatic turret. It chewed up the far wall but didn't even come close to hitting flesh. Crouching, she listened for a second, closing her eyes.

_Cheap beta-class, probably twenty years old. By the angle of fire and the sound of its old ratchets, it's right about…_

Snapping around the corner she planted a bullet right in the turret's power source. A sharp bang and a whiff of smoke, and the machine died.

…_there._

"Niiiice," she heard Williams murmur under her breath. Shepard pointed at her, then gestured to the right, then at herself, and to the left. Williams bobbed her head once, and the two women swept in.

Fist wasn't hard to find. He was hiding behind his desk. He managed two pot-shots at them before Shepard hit him high in the shoulder, sending him gasping and whining to the ground. Williams' foot swept his weapon away and by the time the three men entered, the exciting part was done with.

Shepard hauled him up and slammed him back into his chair. He looked like every other strutting, self-important meathead she'd ever run into, like they had some kind of factory where they kept feeding garbage in one end, pressing it in molds, and popping out ignorant thugs. True to Kaidan's prediction, and like most bullies, the guy was terrified.

"Please…don't kill me," he begged, his eyes darting from face to face, hands up. "I'll…I'll do anything the Broker wants. I-"

"I'm not here for the Broker," Shepard said sternly. She perched on the edge of his desk, foot planting on his knee, pistol aimed at his face. "Dr. Michel put you in contact with a quarian. I need to know where she is."

"What? The-…she…"

"Full sentences if you don't mind. I have very little patience for cowards who would throw a scared kid with a gun in front of trained marines to save his own neck."

"S-Saren paid me to arrange a meeting," he said swiftly, eyes never leaving the gun. "The quarian, his men. He was worried she had some evidence, they're supposed to be meeting right now!"

"Where?" she demanded.

"I d-don't-"

Lowering her foot and moving forward off the desk, her hand planted firmly against the wound in his shoulder, heel of her palm grinding into it. He gasped and cried out, his already pale face getting paler. The muzzle of her pistol no doubt raised a bruise as she pressed it against his cheekbone.

"I asked 'where'," she repeated, dark eyes sparking.

"The alleyway! The alleyway behind Rix! It's just a block away, right behind _Rixjeezuspleasedon'tshootme_!"

"Not going to," she said, removing her hand and straightening. Using her foot she pushed his chair back away from her. It rolled a few feet and she jabbed her thumb toward Wrex, who was already coming forward, ratcheting his shot gun. "This is Wrex. He _is_ here for the Broker."

Fist only had time to blink and gasp, "Oh…" before the gun ignited.

As Shepard turned and strode to the door she half expected C-Sec to try and arrest Wrex. The expression on Vakarian's face showed that he almost expected _himself_ to try it too. Wisely, however, he didn't, only glaring at the remains of Fist's face.

_Probably telling himself the punk deserved it…which he did. There may be hope for that turian yet_.

"Come on," she said as she went. "We need to move if we're going to have any hope of saving that quarian."

* * *

><p>Seivus could see the quarian waiting there in the dim yellow lights, and inclined his head to watch her. He had only seen a handful of quarians in his life…well, as much as anyone could claim to have 'seen' them, since they were always hidden in those suits of theirs. You might find one or two on Illium, or Omega, but they were a very rare sight on the Citadel. Why this one had fled here to hide, in a place she was almost guaranteed to stand out, was beyond him.<p>

He let her fester a little, before cracking his shoulders and striding forward. Behind him, the two salarian mercs Saren had saddled him with, followed.

_Salarians. Like I need the help. I think I can handle one lone little quarian,_ he thought bitterly.

She noticed them almost immediately. He could not see her expression but her body language told of tension, suspicion.

"Who…are _you_?" she asked. "Are you…you're not the Broker..?"

"Hardly," he chuckled with a grin. "My name is Seivus Atrian. I'm a bit of a…forward guard, you might say. Making sure things are on the up and up."

"What are you talking about? Where's Fist? He said the Broker would meet me here to make the trade."

"And he will," he soothed warmly, stopping within arm's reach. Even this close, he could not see much inside her helmet. The flash of eyes, now and again…the hint of a nose. "But the Broker is a very important man…has many enemies. You can't begrudge him a little security, hmm? He sent me to make sure there were no lurking baddies hiding in the shadows, you know? And, of course, to verify that your info is legit. He's hardly going to risk his life for useless data. Do you have it with you?"

As he spoke, the lies coming as easy as breath, he wondered how much Saren would mind if he had a little celebration with her once he had hold of the data. Arterius wanted her dead once the information was secure, he'd made that much clear…so what did it matter if Seivus enjoyed himself first? The girl was alone, after all…and he was so terribly curious about what was under that suit.

He had nothing but confidence as he reached out, stroking a hand over her arm. She'd probably even enjoy it. Seivus had never gotten complaints, after all, and-

Her hand slapped out, knocking his hand away from her as if it were a spider, ready to bite. Every shred of his good mood vanished and he scowled.

"Forget it. I'm leaving. Tell Fist the deal's off," she snapped.

With a growl, he reached out and grabbed her arm again, giving her a yank. "I was going to make it quick," he spat, tiny droplets of saliva sprinkling on her face mask. "Be nice and merciful. _Now_ it's going to _hurt_."

To his surprise, she did not react in fear, didn't cower or start begging like he had hoped. Instead, the heel of her hand slammed into his jaw, staggering him back. Stars filled his eyes as he lost his grip on her. As soon as she was free she plucked a ball of metal from her belt and flung it on the ground, turning and running in the same motion.

He recognized it as a flash-bang a breath before it went off. White light filled his eyes and a sharp ringing echoed through his ears, both sharp and painful. He wailed, shaking his head, and heard gunfire. The salarians.

The quarian had run back toward the dead-end, with nowhere to go. Seivus shook his head again, trying to clear it, and drew his gun. He was going to air this little girl _out_.

But there was too much gunfire. As he backed up a pace he nearly stumbled over one of the dead salarians. His shields suddenly flared with impact as more gunfire filled the air, throwing him further off balance. He hit the ground, his shields giving with one last snap of power a heartbeat before pain seared its way across his side. He felt it only a moment, then his skull cracked sharply into the ground, and consciousness melted away.

"Come out of there," Shepard ordered, her rifle shifting from the three limp forms sprawled along the alley floor. As her sights focused on the quarian, she lowered her weapon. "You hurt?"

"No, I…" The girl seemed hesitant, watching the group warily. "Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Commander Shepard, Systems Alliance," she said. "We're not here to hurt you. Rumor is you have something we need."

"The Broker sent you?"

"No," Williams replied. "We're looking for evidence against Saren Arterius. The doctor put us on your trail."

"I…" She paused, looking first at the bodies on the ground, then back at Shepard. "Well, I guess I do owe you one. Can…we go somewhere else though? You have someone in authority I can speak to?"

"We can take her back to C-Sec," Vakarian suggested. "She'll be protected there."

"I wouldn't trust them to protect a dead varren," Wrex grunted.

"We'll take you to the Embassies," Shepard said matter-of-factly. The quarian nodded after a pause, then inclined her head.

"You…are rather a motley crew, aren't you?"

Shepard cocked a lopsided smile. "All we need is an asari and a volus and we can start a band. C'mon."

* * *

><p>With no illumination on but the desk console, the room was only faintly outlined in soft citrine. Shepard's dark eyes reflected a hint of it around her iris, a glint shimmering off her pupils.<p>

Someone had brought in her duffel, her guitar case. The duffel had been stowed in her locker, the guitar down in storage. Now both were here, the guitar laying on the bed, the duffel beside it.

It was probably Anderson. No one else would care.

The room seemed cavernous in the darkness, black swallowing away the walls so the space seemed to go on forever. It produced a strange, dizzying sensation, as if she stood at the edge of a precipice.

Reaching over, she gently touched the pad near the door.

The room shrank down to normal dimensions as the lights came up, sharply banishing the velvet black.

The captain's quarters. Anderson's quarters, or so they were only a few hours ago. Now they were hers. Now everything had changed.

Walking over to the bed, Shepard flipped the catches on the guitar, opening it. Her fingers passed over the strings lightly, checking them as her eyes assured her there were no scratches, knicks, or gauges in the wood, however small. Satisfied, she carefully closed it again.

Only a few hours. It was astonishing what could happen in only a few hours.

The quarian girl – Tali was her name, Tali'zorah- had called up her omni-tool in the ambassador's office and had changed everything with a few taps of her fingers on the holographic display. Fortune had seemed to line up, some unseen force neatly stacking cards in their favor.

That a quarian so on the ball had been so nearby when that particular geth unit had been destroyed was impressive enough. That she had managed not only to save the data from its core but understood its significance was fortune in itself. That the evidence was stark enough to compel not only Anderson and Udina, but also the Council, was almost unbelievable. Saren's confession, in his own voice (mapped and scrutinized down to the sub-micro-tremors in the voice pattern to prove that no synthetic reproduction or alterations had been made), rang out for all to hear. Vindication.

More, there was not only one voice, but two. Saren and his accomplice…an asari, a matriarch of their people.

And still, that had only been the beginning. Even as the Council grimly condemned Saren and stripped him of his titles, they even more grimly assigned them to Shepard. She could still see the sour look on the turian's face as they swore her in, curious crowds of diplomats and liaisons gathering at this moment…the first human Spectre.

The Normandy, hers now.

Her mission, find what Saren was after, find Saren, his accomplices, his plans…bring them all to justice, stop them in any way she could.

Free reign, full autonomy.

Why then did she have this sour ball in her stomach, this hollow feeling in her chest?

Anderson had been shafted, that was the long and short of it. Relegated to being an errand boy, a paper-pusher for that smug little toad Udina. When she'd found out, her captain (former captain now, Del…former) had seen those familiar heated sparks start in her eyes and had intervened before she could do something she would most certainly regret…like removing every tooth in Udina's head with her knuckles.

The story had come out then, a story she had already more or less pieced together on her own. Anderson being considered for the Spectres. His mission with Arterius. What had happened, and why Udina had snatched hold of the first excuse he could to lever Anderson off the Normandy and into a nice, quiet back room.

Anderson confessed it like admitting he had a disease, or had killed her family single-handedly…like it was something shameful, something dirty. She didn't care…why should she? How many soldiers had she sent to die on Torfan? They all had their mistakes, their pain. No one escaped it. It didn't erase the man he was, the great things he'd done.

The desk display was flashing slightly on one corner. She stepped over and accessed the message, which was simply an update from Joker, the Normandy's pilot. They were out of dock and heading for the black.

Clearing it she straightened, pinching the bridge of her nose. They'd left the Citadel, but they hadn't left alone. Tali, Wrex, and Vakarian were all aboard, that was the most surreal part. Tali and Vakarian she at least understood. The girl was useful, educated, familiar with the geth and a top-notch techie and more, she wanted to help. There were a thousand situations that could crop up where they could use her expertise.

Vakarian had quit C-Sec to come. Shepard didn't blame him, from the sounds of it, his every move was wrapped in so much red-tape it was choking him. Being a turian, he would also share insights about Saren, possible ways of thinking, motivations driven by culture, religion, even anatomy. Shepard didn't like having a turian on board and Vakarian himself seemed a bit wound too tight for her but she could see the logic in the decision.

Wrex was another matter all together. His only reason for being here was because he thought some good chaos would be going down, something big, and he wanted his piece of it. Had he been any other race, Shepard would have shut the airlock in his face. The fact he was a krogan, a big walking wall of mean, well…when going into a battle of any kind, what did you bring if _not_ a big walking wall of mean?

Sitting with an exhausted sigh on the edge of the bed, Shepard bent and pulled off her boots, letting them lay where they fell. Grabbing her duffel she unzipped a small pocket, pulled out the crude crayon drawing. Carefully moving the guitar case, she flopped backward onto the mattress, the drawing held against her chest with one hand as she closed her eyes.

At least Udina and his contacts had been useful for something. They had a few leads on possible geth activity, and a name. Liara T'Soni. An asari archaeologist, the daughter of the matriarch heard on Tali's recording. They were heading her direction now, hoping she had some answers about her mother and Saren, some intel they could use. She was at some lonely, dusty old dig site out in the middle of nowhere.

Turning a little, half-sitting, Shepard pressed the drawing to her lips a moment before she set it on the bedside table, unfolded so she could see it.

Rising she went to the console. She was off-duty for a while, but she put a notification on her console anyway, not to bother her unless it was an emergency. Then she accessed the extranet, swiftly selecting some _Opus Ori_.

Mellow blues melted into the room, slowly saturating it with soft sax, low guitar, a sorrowful bass. When the singer's gentle tenor began to quietly lament the passing of the day, Shepard lay down again, having stripped off her uniform. Dressed only in dark panties and a tank, she gripped a pillow and plastered it over her head, letting the now barely heard river of music carry her toward sleep.

* * *

><p>"Is that really necessary? <em>Stop it<em>!"

The woman's voice echoed through the wide entryway, moving forward even as she did. Soft shoes squeaked on tile that smelled of clean and bright and sterile. The woman herself was short and slightly plump, functionally cut red hair streaked liberally with gray, and crow's feet settling in the corners of her eyes. They were eyes that seemed to smile often, though they were not smiling now.

The two Blue Shirts (as the kids in the street called them) were also decidedly not smiling. Both were out of breath, irritated. Between them they held a girl that couldn't be much older than twelve, all gangly knees and elbows. She was cuffed but struggling, and one of the Shirts had gripped hold of the greasy black hair on the back of her head, craning her head back in an attempt to keep her under control. Her nostrils were flaring, eyes wide to show the whites, like a frantic horse who smells blood. The corner of her mouth was bleeding.

The nurse could see that the girl was from one of the gangs downtown. Her worn clothing was dumpster-scrounge and what they called 'savon-faire' after the patchwork, hand-me-down, tattered clothes most of the poor wore out on Savon Avenue. The right sleeve of her thin jacket was torn off, but the left was still intact, and hand-painted a bright red. Not one of the Savon Avenue Slicks then, but rather a Tenth Street Red.

Seeing the blood on her mouth her gaze accused the Shirts. "Did you _hit_ her?"

"No," one grumped. "Cop that took her down did. Right after they pried her teeth loose from his arm. She's a wildcat, this one. Hasn't stopped fighting us since she was snagged."

"Put her in there," the nurse ordered, pointing at a doorway.

"You gonna dose her?" one asked as they wrestled the girl into the indicated room, the nurse following behind.

"Not if I can avoid it. She's just scared."

The room was small, with no apparent furniture. There was a short metal ring on the wall, and as they entered one of the cops started to attach a thin metal cord to the cuffs, with the intention of hooking the other end on the ring.

"None of that," the nurse ordered. "Just take the cuffs off."

"You're as crazy as she is," the larger cop glowered. "Did you miss the part where we had to pry her teeth loose from someone?"

"I heard it." Her gaze fixed the girl's matter-of-factly. "I said un-cuff her."

The cuffs powered down and came loose, the smaller cop giving the girl a bit of a shove away from him. "I'm done with this. She's your problem now."

He stalked out, his larger partner lingering a moment before the nurse pointed. "Go on. Out."

"Good luck," he snorted, and left the two of them alone.

The girl was balanced on her knees, eyes seeking along every angle and plane of the room. Calmly the nurse touched an HI near the door. Part of the wall quietly opened, a bench sliding out. "Have a seat," she said kindly.

The girl only glared, which didn't surprise the nurse in the slightest. A moment later another, smaller bench eased out from beside the door. "Well, if you aren't going to I hope you don't mind if I do."

She seated herself with a sigh, a smile dancing faintly on her lips as she inclined her head. "What's your name?"

No answer but a glare. She could swear she saw tiny sparks dancing deep in those brown eyes. Poor girl was beyond scrawny. Probably hadn't had a decent meal in months, if ever.

"Well, I'll tell you mine, how's that? My name is Nancy Salgado. I'm a nurse here at the Brooking Center. Do you know why you are here?"

Silence and that fixed, glaring gaze. Undaunted, Nancy continued.

"This isn't a juvenile facility. This is a psychiatric care facility for troubled youth. You're here to be evaluated, treated if necessary. One of our doctors, Dr. Eglet, will be in to see you in a couple of hours. She'll talk to you, ask you some questions, start the evaluation. In the mean-time it's my job to see that you're settled in, taken care of medically, that any questions are answered. Do you have any questions?"

Silence. The girl's gaze was calculating, measuring, switching between Nancy and the closed door. Calmly Nancy shook her head.

"I wouldn't try it. I'm stronger than I look, and armed with a tazer. And unless I deactivate the door you'd just get another shock as soon as you touched it, one strong enough to put you out. It would hurt, and I don't want that. I just want to talk."

Her voice was genuine. She'd seen too many kids, some younger than this, try for that door. She'd gotten black eyes, broken noses from them. She'd wrestled down boys almost twice her size, seen them howl like infants. She'd felt that shock, and it was no laughing matter. She'd take the girl on if she tried it without hesitation, but she was hoping it wouldn't come to that.

The girl's gaze seemed to settle a bit, yet darken at the same time. She slipped back and sat down on the bench, drawing her legs up defensively. Nancy lifted a brow.

"I must say that surprises me," she said, relieved. "You're a fighter, I can see it in your eyes. You've been fighting desperately all your life just to live…but you're not reckless. That's good. Are you hungry? You look like you could use a good meal, or ten."

"You'd feed me?"

The girl's first words were soft and ragged and suspicious. Nancy's brows knit.

"Of course. You'll be fed, cleaned up, given any medications or antibiotics you might need. Sleep on a bed with real sheets…"

As she talked she could see the stone beneath those eyes, unmoving…and yet the tiniest cracks of hope. It was always sad to get a kid in this age, kid who had probably never slept on a real bed.

"What's your name?" she tried again gently. Those deep eyes shifted slightly.

"Del," she said at last. "Shepard."

Nancy smiled happily. "Del Shepard," she repeated. "It's an honor to meet you."

* * *

><p>Shepard woke to the soft chiming of the console alarm. She was curled on her side, coiled into a tight ball, hugging the pillow to her chest. Waking and rising almost in the same motion, she cast the pillow aside and touched the console to shut it off. Quickly she pulled up the bridge report and their coordinates. Still a couple hours out from T'Soni's dig-site. It was just past 0500.<p>

She showered and changed into a clean uniform, giving her boots a quick once over with a buffing rag. She a dim, red throbbing in the middle of her skull…the unformed warning of an incipient headache. Stepping out of her quarters she walked over to the mess, quickly fetching up a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Commander," Williams' voice piped up from one of the tables. Williams had pulled grave the previous night, and was having a bite before bunking. As Shepard glanced over, she saw that Alenko and a couple of privates were at the same table. Vakarian was sitting off on his own a short distance away.

"Morning," Shepard replied, topping off her mug and taking a plate of faceless food. Striding over to the table she asked, "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," came the response, and there was a slight shifting as they made room. As she sat down she looked over at the turian.

"Vakarian," she called, drawing his attention. When he glanced up she gestured at the empty space across from her, inviting him over.

"Oh, thank you, Commander, but I'm just finished," he replied, rising with his tray and heading away.

With a mental shrug, she peeled the wrapping off her own food, taking a sip of coffee.

"Commander…do you mind if I speak informally?" Williams asked, drawing Shepard's gaze upward toward hers.

"I excel at off-the-record conversations, Williams," Shepard replied. "I do expect a certain level of formality and professionalism of course but one thing I have learned over the years…there is such a thing as being too rigid. If you're too rigid, you snap in a high wind, dong ma?"

"Dong ma," Alenko echoed with faint amusement. "That's…Chinese, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Shepard replied with a smirk. "All the best space cowboys use it. Anyway, what's up, Williams?"

"I'm just…a little concerned. About Vakarian and Wrex, and that quarian."

"Tali? Concerned how?"

"Well, for all intents and purposes, Commander-"

"Del."

Williams blinked a bit. "Ma'am?"

"We're talking off the record. My name is Del. Or Shepard."

"Oh. Well, then uh…Shepard, for all intents and purposes we are in the most advanced ship in the Alliance. Cutting edge technology, new design schematics…I'm not entirely sure that having aliens aboard at all is a wise idea, let alone giving them free reign around vital systems."

"You're afraid of espionage? Think that they'll start sending our design schematics to our enemies?"

"It's not that I think they will, but however slim the risk we need to address it. The turians-"

"Helped design this ship," Del said calmly, still eating. "The Council helped fund it. I guarantee you that there is not a single nut or bolt in the hull that is unknown to the asari, turians or salarians."

"Well…the krogan then, or the quarians…" Williams knit her brows, sitting back. "Can we trust them?"

"As races? I trust krogan to hit and quarians to talk. Wrex and Tali in particular? Wrex is very straight-forward. He'd consider subterfuge to be cowardly, weak. Tali is honest and genuine. She grew up knowing one thing; never put your ship and crew in danger. She won't do anything to jeopardize us."

"I just-"

"Thank you, Commander," Tali's lightly accented tones interrupted. Williams and Alenko blinked as they looked up to where the young quarian stood, having just entered the mess. Shepard wiped her mouth on her napkin and bobbed her head.

"No thanks needed, Tali," she replied. "It's the honest truth. Williams, you and I can talk more on this later. Your concerns are noted. For now, I need to get up to the CIC and you need rack-time. Alenko, I'm going to need you on the ground team when we hit Therum. Wrex too. Let him know and get suited up. I'll see you in the CIC in one hour."

"Yes ma'am."

Finishing the dregs of her coffee, that red unformed ache in her head dulling down thanks to the caffeine, Shepard cleared her plate and headed out of the mess. With a soft 'excuse me', Williams rose as well, feeling awkward. She should have brought the whole thing up with Shepard in private. She hadn't been expecting Tali to overhear, and was worried that the girl would take it wrong. It wasn't anything personal, it simply wasn't wise to put yourself and your crew at risk on the notion that allies would always remain allies.

Without looking at the quarian she cleared her place and headed to bunk.

* * *

><p>Scuts of wind cut across the rough volcanic sand, releasing sheets into the air of the finer grains. They looked like ghosts escaping their graves.<p>

It was hot, stuffy despite the wind, and the stink of sulphur and magma burned faintly at her nose. Wiping a forearm over her damp forehead, Osco peered into the binocs again.

The dig-site entrance vanished into the dark, craggy hillside. At its apex, short broken shafts of stone and concrete marked the ruins that had been all but swallowed up by the small volcano. Not a hundred meters under the deepest parts of the dig a great magma chamber was just waiting…the right tectonic shift, the right pressure, and this small volcano would make itself felt.

_Brave place to do an excavation,_ she thought as she focused the binocs on the entrance. _Brave or idiotic_.

There was a small crowd gathered at the entrance. Karn, she knew…a krogan merc in Saren's employ. Most of the rest were geth, flashes of light creeping around the dirt and rock like spotlights as they examined the area.

T'Soni was in there. They knew it as well as Gellian knew it, and had arrived only an hour before she had. By now, T'Soni knew it too, since they were hardly being quiet in their attempts to break open the secure door.

Osco was irritated by Saren's continued lack of subtlety. He would have done much better sending in a single person, someone who could approach T'Soni without suspicion and swiftly render her unconscious. The woman was a PhD for pity's sake, not a merc or an assassin or a hardened military commando dug in with ammo to spare. True, she was a talented biotic but she was young, naïve, and trusting. She'd have never seen a good infiltrator coming, and she could have been fetched without a scratch on her.

No. Instead, Saren had sent a krogan _merc_ and a bunch of his flashlights to thump their chests and beat down her door, putting her completely on guard and turning a simple retrieval into a circus. If T'Soni came out in one piece, it would be a miracle.

The door finally came open, the krogan and his lackeys vanishing into the dark tunnel beyond. There was a geth drop-ship nearby, Gellian knew, and the flashlights had taken over the gatehouse compound not three miles away. It was going to be interesting to see if she would be able to retrieve T'Soni unharmed for her mother, before the flashlights retrieved her in pieces for Saren.

Once the area was clear, she stowed her binocs and picked up her small pack, checking the pistol holstered at her hip. Time to get moving.

The air was hot, and close, and smelled of steam and primal rock. In places, the walls of the close tunnel ran with rivulets of water, but the stone itself was warm or even actively hot to the touch. Only a few steps in, Gellian's blonde hair was slicked to her neck and cheeks with sweat, with humidity.

The tunnel was a choke point, the only way in or out of the dig. A smooth, unnatural bore it provided no crevices, no offshoots, not even a pebble to hide behind. She moved at a crouch, slow and steady, the Geth belt around her waist a faint but omnipresent hum.

She had made the belt herself, based on the Geth's camouflage. Some of their larger units had built-in panels of metamaterial that, when energized with electromagnetic or element zero energy, would bend light around themselves, making them more or less invisible. The effect was distorted with motion, like the heat-waves that rose off pavement, giving the illusion of water. Gellian had taken samples of the same metamaterial to make her belt. Powered by its own small electromagnetic generator, it created an cloaking field just large enough to hide her. More than aware of the distortion effect, however, she kept to a crouch and moved carefully.

Such belts and devices were, of course, available outside of the Geth collective, for exorbitant prices. Impractically expensive on a large scale (no one would be cloaking a full ship any time soon), they usually only landed in the hands of the super-rich and the very successful less-than-honest.

Karn had left a single geth unit to guard the narrow entry. Foot by soft foot Osco managed to slowly slip past it without detection, and into the cavern proper.

The wide maw of the dig sailed into an ebony throat, lit in sickly patches with floodlights that more seemed to increase the gloom than banish it. The stone was black and gray, frozen in ripples and folds and eddies like melted faces. In places it was as smooth as glass, and glinted like eyes watching in the dark. Emerging from the frozen sea now and again was a hard edge, an even line, the hint of artifice and order...the old Prothean construction half-swallowed by millennia-old magma.

A series of metal catwalks, platforms, and elevators led down into the gloom. Edging to the railing of the first she peered downward, and grimaced. It would be next to impossible to descend fully into the dig without detection. Karn had spaced geth troops at regular intervals, and even while cloaked, her footsteps would ring like bells on the old rusting metal.

Part of the catwalk followed the cavern wall to the left. As she regarded it, she heard ghostly voices rising up from below…too distant to make out words but tone and cadence was possible.

The deep rumbling voice was Karn, unmistakably. A softer, fainter feminine voice answered. As Karn had only brought salarians and geth with him, the voice had to be that of Dr. T'Soni.

Cursing silently to herself Osco made her way to the left along the catwalk. If Karn had already reached T'Soni they would be exiting soon. Her only hope was to find a vantage point and get a fix with her sniper before they could get Liara out. She'd have to hit Karn first, through the eye if at all possible. Then the salarians and finally the geth, who would not harm T'Soni without direct orders.

It would be impossible, she knew…the krogan would be facing the wrong direction, and even if on pure chance she got in a kill shot, the salarians would be able to react quickly enough to shield themselves and their hostage.

Still, she had promised the matriarch, and she meant to try.

The catwalk curved around to the left, plunging her into nearly instant gloom. A single work light was balanced about ten yards along, but it was inactive. No doubt the lights that were not directly needed for a given work-area were kept powered down to conserve them.

The walk led nowhere, simply ringing the top of the circular shaft…little more than an observation area. From the far side, nestled in blackness, she could see the great Prothean building half-submerged in the igneous rock wall. Several floors below, she could make out figures at the base.

Drawing out a small sniper rifle, she unplugged a bud from its side and tucked it into her ear, before putting the scope to her eye and aiming it downward. The scope itself she switched to low-light, making the forms appear with almost daylight clarity. Pressing the button on the side that activated the supersonic directional microphone, voices were also picked up, piping directly into the earpiece.

Karn, his two salarian buddies, and a pair of the geth were standing clustered in front of what looked like a shimmer of light, blocking off one section of the Prothean construction. It was hard to tell but beyond the light seemed to be a figure, spread-eagle in a strange position.

She tried to shift into a better angle but it was impossible to see the odd figure any more closely. Given the voice, however, it was Liara T'Soni herself.

"…easier on yourself," Karn was saying. "We're gonna find a way in, but if you're smart, you'll let us in before you starve to death in there."

"Just…just _go away_. I'm…I'm not letting you in."

T'Soni sounded frightened. Osco shifted the scope slightly, crosshairs focusing on the back of Karn's head. No good. The heavy plates there would only bounce the bullet off…would probably barely scuff him. She needed an eye, or the hollow of his throat…impossible while his back was to her.

The salarians she could take out easily, but that would only alert Karn and she'd much rather deal with the salarians and geth hand to hand if it came to it, than the krogan.

Karn chuckled at the asari. "Have it your way then. Saren wants you alive, but when we get in there, I'm gonna snap a limb or two just on _principle_."

The krogan turned away from the asari, but unfortunately not far enough for Osco to get a decent bead on his eye. He gruffly ordered the geth and grumped away off into the dark. Rising a little, Osco shifted a few feet to the side, trying to get a better look at what T'Soni was doing.

That she had managed to activate some kind of force-field or shielding was obvious. What was less obvious was the cause of her odd position. Even at a new vantage a yard or two to the side, the angle was too steep between the high cat-walk and the ground-level compartment for Osco to see the young archaeologist any closer.

Ah, well. Karn had separated from the others. With luck, she could take out the salarians and geth silently, and pick a new vantage to take out the krogan.

Just as she started to straighten, the faint snap of gunfire caught her attention, lifting her gaze back to the entrance tunnel across the cavern. The geth standing guard there fired up the tunnel twice, then fell in a haze of sparks and a spatter of coolant. Instantly Osco lifted the scope again, focusing on the tunnel entranceway.

Marines. Two of them…and _another_ krogan. They came down out of the tunnel with practiced, efficient ease. The female marine had point, and swept along the catwalk down toward the stairs without missing a step or lowering her weapon. From a lower platform one of the geth spied her and opened fire, only to collapse a second later as the female neatly landed a trio of shots.

_It's Delilah Shepard, has to be_, Osco thought. The soldier who had used the Beacon, the one that Saren wanted killed. It was no real surprise to see her here, though the fact she had a krogan with her was unexpected.

Osco had a genius IQ, beyond the scope of any human who had existed before…but even an idiot would know better than to insert themselves between well-trained marines and a group of mercs. Osco had little choice but to stay put and see how things played out. With luck the two groups would wipe each other out, leaving her free to fetch T'Soni unharmed.

* * *

><p>The screech of metal was horrific, the twisted tortured death-knell of a great ancient beast. Shepard instinctively grabbed the side of the rickety elevator as the floor sagged beneath her feet, tilting drunkenly. A spit of sparks was the final insult before the whole contraption simply halted. Stepping to the grate door she peered through, then hauled it open. They were only a couple of feet from the bottom, and not a geth was in sight.<p>

Nonetheless she gestured to Alenko to sweep right, Wrex to head forward, and she herself clambered over and dropped to the ground on the left. The light attached to her rifle scope swept over rocks and shadows, but revealed no enemy.

"Clear," Alenko announced, a breath before Wrex's far more gravelly "All clear."

"Uh…_hello_? Could somebody help me please?"

Shepard snapped around at the thin, plaintive female voice. Beyond a mound of debris she could see a shimmering blue light. The voice had come from that direction. Gesturing at the other two to follow, she edged around the broken rocks.

It was one of the strange, almost kidney-shaped rooms of the Prothean building. A curtain of gently wafting blue light completely sealed off the entrance. Behind it and within the chamber itself an asari woman in lab fatigues was suspended off the ground, hovering in what appeared to be a bubble made of the same shifting blue light. From the awkward and rigid way her limbs were extended, it was quite clear she could not move of her own volition.

With Alenko and Wrex watching her back, Shepard stepped toward the odd field of light, lifting a hand and removing her helmet as she did so. Immediately the heat of the chamber assaulted her, damping her skin as if she'd stepped into a sauna. Her hair quickly began to cling to her temples, forehead, the sides of her neck. She squinted toward the asari girl, noting she was in much the same shape…her pale blue skin sheened with moisture that was beginning to darken her fatigues at her chest and underarms.

"Can you hear me?" Shepard asked. "Are you Dr. T'soni?"

"Yes," the girl panted in relief. "Please, you must get me out of here. The shield is a barrier curtain. I…I activated it in a panic when I saw the krogan and the synthetics. I guess I hit one too many controls and I found myself stuck in this bubble. I cannot move to shut either of the systems off."

"You're awfully trusting," Shepard pointed out. "For all you know I could be with the geth."

"Is…is _that_ what they are? They're geth?" T'soni blinked, then shook her head ever so faintly, clearly unable to produce more motion than a subtle shift. "I know you are not. I may be trapped but I am far from stupid, Commander. I can see the Alliance insignia on your armor. The N7 designation is also clear, as is your command ranking. The krogan that was here earlier was a merc, and if those were geth with him then I doubt they are on your side. And so long as they are not, and it will get me out of here, I have no choice but to trust you."

Shepard inclined her head slightly. "Very well. But this trust game goes both directions. Your mother is working with Saren, a former Spectre. They are responsible for an attack on a human colony and are in cooperation with the geth. Now I find the synthetics here. The picture being painted is not pretty."

"I am _not_ my mother!" T'soni said hotly. Shepard couldn't help the slight quirk of her mouth as amusement filled her. She'd met far too many thugs and liars in her life. This girl was neither…her emotion was so instant and heated that it couldn't be anything but genuine, her wide and angry blue eyes completely guileless. "I want nothing to do with Saren or the geth!"

"Fair enough, Tianlán," Shepard replied. "Don't worry. We'll get you out of there."

"I…I don't know how," the girl admitted, flustered. "The controls for both mechanisms are in here, and there is no way in save through the curtain itself, which is impossible. From what I understand it is designed to grow stronger with any force or energy applied to it."

"Leave it to me. You just sit tight, all right?"

From within the bubble, Liara blinked. Sit…_tight_? Was the human mocking her? She couldn't tell, but it was impossible for her to even move, let alone _sit_. And how did one sit _tightly_?

The human turned and disappeared into the shadows with the other two, leaving the asari girl by herself again. The barrier curtain and the bubble did nothing for the tremendous heat, which had only been growing the last few hours. She was uncomfortably damp with sweat. The krogan had mentioned her starving to death but it was far more likely she would succumb to heat stroke, literally cook to death in a few hours if the heat continued to increase.

The human marine was her only hope…if there was any hope to be had at all. Still, it was something to cling too. Liara was young but far past the age of believing in fanciful tales, where the brave and gallant justicar would come riding in at the last moment to save the helpless damsel, but it certainly seemed this Shepard was doing just that. It—

_Oh, listen to yourself, T'soni! This heat is getting to you more than you thought._

Trying to calculate how long it might be before the marines managed to somehow break in or circumvent the curtain, she prayed she was able to hold out. It would likely be several hours at the very-

Something loud suddenly rumbled, the very air around her seeming to tremble. Thin spills of rock dust drifted down from between the tiles lining the Prothean chamber, and the echo of the rumble moved off through the rock of the volcano like a grumpy animal retreating further into its den. Frightened for a moment that the volcano itself was about to erupt, she blinked as yet another sound came to her ears. A strange grinding that was getting louder. It stopped after a moment, and then…

…footsteps?

Turning her head as far as she was able, which was only a matter of inches, she spotted the marine out of the corner of her eye, heading for the control panel. Shock filled her.

"You…_how_…?"

"Used the mining laser to break into the chamber directly below," the marine replied casually, her fingers activating the holographic interface. A breath later and both bubble and curtain vanished. Liara collapsed to the ground, muscles aching in exhaustion. As she shifted up into a sit, a hand appeared in front of her. Grasping it, she allowed Shepard to pull her to her feet.

"I…_thank_ you. I didn't think it was possible to get in here and you did it in a matter of moments. I'm…astonished."

"We aim to please, Tianlán." Shepard's smile was faint and lopsided. Up close Liara could see the sheen of sweat over her skin, the flush of heat on her cheeks. Her hair (hair on other species had always fascinated her), either a dark brown or black, was glistening. She scrubbed a wrist over her forehead as she stepped back a pace from Liara, who frowned in confusion.

"Why do you call me-"

A deeper, more ominous rumble interrupted her as the ground trembled beneath their feet, strong enough to threaten their balance.

"That didn't sound good," the krogan grumped.

"This is an active volcano," Liara said, recovering herself. "The mining laser must have been just enough to trigger seismic activity. We have to get out of here now."

"C'mon," Shepard gripped her arm momentarily, turning her and pushing her deeper into the chamber toward the central tower lift. Liara ran for the controls. The lift was part of the Prothean construction and was thousands of years old. It had only been used once, to help ship the large excavation laser down this far to begin with. She could only pray that it wouldn't choose now to stop working.

The controls lit up as her fingers hit the holographic display, and in moments they were slowly lifting up the central shaft. As she worked to try and get more speed out of it, the deep rumble around them having turned into a more ominous, deeper growl, she could hear Shepard shouting into her radio, talking to someone called 'Joker'.

"Can't this thing move any faster?" the krogan demanded.

"I'm trying, it's very old," Liara said frantically. "If I push it too quickly it could shake itself apart, and the mountain quaking is not helping."

"It's getting hotter," the human man pointed out. It was, the temperature rising quite noticeably...noticeably enough that it was affecting even him in his climate controlled suit. That was far from good.

"C'mon…c'mon…" Shepard seemed to be chanting at the slowly nearing surface as the lift continued to doggedly climb.

* * *

><p>Shepard would doubtless never know how close she came to death. Watching and listening through her sniper, Osco had fixed the crosshairs directly on the back of Shepard's skull the moment the marine had her helmet off to speak to T'Soni. Her finger had even tightened on the trigger. A half-ounce of pressure more, and Saren's desire to have the soldier eliminated would have been fulfilled.<p>

Contrary to her own logical desires, that urge to pull the trigger was incredibly and rather queerly strong. It was only by the most monumental of efforts that Osco forced her finger to loosen and ease away.

Silently listening, Osco watched the conversation unfold, then tracked the trio as they trooped down to the lower level, discovered the mining laser, and hacked it. The moment she saw the laser she knew what they were going to do…and what would happen as a result. The volcano might have been a slumbering beast…but it was a _light_ slumber.

Shipping her sniper she was halfway around the cavern toward the exit again when the laser went off and the first solid rumble shook the mountain.

The catwalk was old and not securely bolted. She grabbed at the railing as she felt it shift away from the wall, the bolts edging a thread or two free of the rock. As soon as she had caught her balance again she stabbed a finger at the activation for her geth belt, and shimmered into near-invisibility once more. Carefully, the rumbling around her never truly dying, she continued foot by foot around the room, edging toward the exit.

Loud eruptions of gunfire suddenly filled the cavern. She needn't look to know what had happened. Shepard and her group had come upon Karn.

Dust was choking the air, light fixtures breaking free and tumbling to crash in a rain of sparks and glass as the mountain gave up grumbling and started a full out tantrum. Osco had just reached the main catwalk when figures appeared from the opposite direction.

Knowing the dust would hide any ripple effect from the camouflage belt Osco risked rushing right up to the exit tunnel. The krogan thundered past her without pause, followed swiftly by the male marine. A squeal of metal punctuated the far catwalk stairs ripping free of the wall and sagging like melting cheese down the rock. A breath later and T'Soni was in view, eyes wide and frantic as she swept past Osco with barely a foot of room, completely unaware anyone was even there.

Osco froze to let Shepard past and for a moment the marine paused and looked back into the cavern…looked, in fact, directly into Osco's eyes from less than two feet away. Though she knew the woman's gaze was in truth fixed on the collapsing cavern behind them she nearly felt her own heart stop in panic.

Then Shepard turned away and rushed onward, fleeing for her life up the tunnel.

Osco was no fool. Better risk of discovery than to remain here.

She was only a matter of a yard or two behind the marine, bursting out into fresh air with a cloud of dust on her heels.

Shepard was on the outside ramp, bent forward and gasping for breath, T'Soni and the other two clinging to the end of the same structure in a bid to keep their feet. An Alliance frigate winked against the sun as it turned and lowered, ramp opening. The male marine nearly picked T'soni up and threw her up onto the ramp as it got close enough, before leaping aboard himself, followed by the krogan. Shepard broke into a trot, also jumping aboard.

Osco began to run again, grabbing frantically for her belt as the frigate lifted into the air and out of reach. It wasn't her goal anyway. Hitting her shuttle's automated call her booted feet hit dirt at the same moment another roaring explosion erupted behind her.

And 'erupted' was _definitely_ the right word. The ground seemed to lift two or three feet and then drop. Her feet skipped out from beneath her and she crashed down to the dirt, her lip splitting open in a gush of hot copper against a jagged chunk of rock. Behind her the mountain seemed to dissolve, falling inward and then thrusting upward in a great column of black smoke and fiery magma. Dazed, she scrambled to her feet just as her shuttle swung in and began to land, its door lifting open. She dove for it, landing with an oof on metal and skidding a little before crashing into the far wall. Pushing herself to her feet, ignoring the blood running down her chin, she leapt for the controls, swinging the shuttle away just seconds before a lava-bomb sailed past, crashing into the ground.

Only a few minutes later and she had gained the upper atmosphere. Mopping her hand over her chin she turned the shuttle and looked toward the angry black smudge of ash and smoke sparkling with lines of fire…all that remained of the dig-site and easily five miles around it.

"I'll give you this, Shepard," she mumbled thickly, her lip and chin swollen and aching. "You're _good_. Subtle as a bomb in the middle of Times Square…but _good_."

* * *

><p>Shepard, coughing, peeled off her helmet and dropped it to the floor of the cargo bay. The helmet's filters had, of course, prevented any of the toxic smoke from actually reaching her lungs, but the firefight, the frantic uphill run, and the incredible heat had all served to make her airways feel about as wide as pencil-lead.<p>

From the look of it Alenko was little better, crouched on the floor with one arm around the asari's waist. Wrex, with his damned spare set of lungs, looked only slightly smudged and irritated.

T'Soni herself was on her hands and knees and, if her cough was any indication, she was in worse shape than the three of them combined. She, of course, had not had the benefit of air filters of any kind. Shepard strode over and helped Alenko get her into a sit. Her face was flushed a deeper blue beneath a liberal coating of volcanic dust. Tears cut clean tracks down her cheeks from her streaming eyes, and coughs were ragged.

"Hey, take it easy," Shepard urged, a breath before Joker's voice cut in overhead.

_{Too close Commander. The Normandy wasn't designed to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference.}_

Gripping hold of Shepard's arm, Liara struggled in a breath. "We almost died," she rasped, "and he's making jokes?"

"You should ask him to tap-dance for you," Shepard replied dryly, that lopsided grin making a brief appearance. Glancing up over T'Soni's head she nodded toward Chakwas as the doctor and her assistant rushed in. "Doc's here. She's going to take good care of you."

T'Soni shook her head, still grasping Shepard's arm. "I'll be fine," she coughed.

"No offense, but you sound like you have a ten pack a day habit," Alenko told her gently. "Besides, when was the last time you ate? Or slept?"

"We can talk later. Right now you need treatment," Shepard agreed.

"I'll third that," Chakwas said, having reached their side. She crouched down, looking at the asari's eyes before she looked up at her assistant. "Help her to the medical bay, start treatment for smoke inhalation."

As the assistant helped Liara to her feet her fingers fell reluctantly away from Shepard's arm. Glancing back as she was gently led away she rasped a final "Thank you."

Shepard bobbed her head, then straightened, tugging off a glove and then wiping a hand over her grimy forehead.

"You two should go to the infirmary as well," Chakwas said, looking at the commander critically. Shepard waved a hand slightly.

"I'm fine. Just a little overheated is all."

"Commander, you are the only person I know who can literally outrun an erupting volcano and then claim to be 'just a little overheated," Chakwas said sternly. "Both you and Alenko need to be fully checked out."

"Concentrate on T'Soni for now," Shepard insisted, then jerked her chin toward the biotic LT. "Alenko as well if he needs it. I'll be along as soon as I make sure we're not about to be ambushed by any geth ships."

"I could make it an order, Commander," Chakwas insisted. "As a doctor I am the only person on board this vessel that can pull rank on you."

"Pull all you want, I'm not budging," Shepard replied coolly. "Alenko, go with the doctor to the infirmary. I'll be down directly."

Without waiting any further protest she strode for the door, unsnapping the fastens of her chest-plate as she did so. Chakwas watched her go with a faint huff of irritation.

"The woman's as stubborn as a krogan with no legs," she declared. Wrex, who was still lingering nearby, barked a laugh.

"Lady," he said. "You got _no_ idea."

* * *

><p>It was hours before Shepard got down to the infirmary. There had been a small geth drop-ship lurking about…one that took off the moment it realized it was spotted. Shepard had ordered the pursuit and the Normandy had dogged it with determination, before they were finally able to take it out.<p>

As she entered the infirmary Chakwas was leaning against an examination bed, arms folded. Besides her the place was empty. Shepard lifted her brows a little.

"I heard Alenko was cleared," she said. "Where's T'Soni?"

"She's bunking back in the lab," Chakwas told her. "I figured it would give her some privacy. She's asleep…utterly exhausted, but she should be just fine."

"Good to know."

"What I'd like to know is if my commanding officer is _also_ going to be 'just fine,'" Chakwas said pointedly, then straightened and indicated the exam bed. Silently Shepard went over and laid down. Chakwas started up the medical scans, the corners of her mouth tense.

"Something on your mind, Doctor?" Shepard asked.

"To be absolutely frank, Commander…I'm not entirely sure how I feel about you. The jury is still out," she said candidly, watching the scan. "I brought my concerns about you to Captain Anderson before we'd even left dockside."

"I scare you that badly?" Shepard asked, amused.

"No, not scare…you _concern_ me."

"I concern a great many people, Doctor-"

"Helen."

Shepard lifted her brows again, and Chakwas shook her head. "We are having a candid, off-the-record discussion, are we not? I overheard you talking to Williams this morning. My name is Helen."

"Fair enough. Helen. Call me Shepard."

"Not Delilah? Or Del?"

"Nah. Only Anderson ever calls me that, really…and he only does it when he thinks I'm not going to like something."

"Understood. Shepard then. Well, Shepard, it looks like you were correct. From the scan you're just fine, though I daresay you could do with a good night's rest."

Shepard nodded and sat up, but made no move to leave the infirmary. Her dark brown eyes regarded the doctor evenly. "So, lay your concerns on me, Helen. I have no doubt you've read my file…S.O.P for any medical personnel when taking on a new crew. Doubtless that's what brought you to Anderson about me to begin with. That and my lovely little nickname…the _Butcher of Torfan_. I'm sure the captain told you of my wicked, baby-killing ways, about how I'm on the verge of snapping and madly slaughtering my entire crew."

Chakwas's grey brows knit faintly. "You're mocking me."

Shepard grinned. "I'm _joking_ with you, Helen. Knowing Anderson he probably made me sound like a goddamn girl-scout, a glowing paragon so pristine and saintly that my tears cure cancer and my shit smells like rose and honey."

"Well, he was not so _colorful_ no…but he did express his confidence in you and it was clear he holds a great deal of respect and, I daresay, even affection for you."

"Anderson's a good man. But I don't want to hear his opinion. I want to hear _yours_."

"Well, to be utterly frank, Comm- -_Shepard_…as I said, I'm still not decided. On the one hand you seem to have a level head on your shoulders. You listen to your crew, you're thoughtful but decisive when needed…a tad bit stubborn but I've yet to work with any true Alliance soldier that wasn't. You're extremely skilled, almost an artist when it comes to combat…were you anyone else I would say you are a damn fine example of an Alliance soldier and a Commander I can more than respect."

"But I'm the Butcher of Torfan," Shepard hedged.

"I read over the reports from Torfan," Chakwas dismissed with the shake of a head. "What you did…what was _done_…you had no choice, and it's clear from my experiences with you now that you did not do what you did frivolously or lightly. It was a sad, frustrating situation…there was no good outcome, and there were far worse options on the table. Most leaders would have crumbled under the pressure…you did what had to be done. No, it's not Torfan itself that concerns me in the least."

"Then what's the issue?"

"I know you have passed all of your psych evaluations," she said bluntly. "But as you are no doubt aware, all of your records are included in your service file. Your childhood history, your police record, all there. And Torfan…it's less what you did and more how you _feel_ about what you did that bothers me. What you have been through, Shepard…well, I find it extremely difficult to believe that you are as stable as you appear."

Shepard's lashes fluttered ever so slightly, before she shook her head with a half-smile. "Doc, someone once told me that if you drown, it is pointless to blame the ocean."

"I…am afraid I don't understand."

"When I was a kid, everything that happened…happened _to_ me, not _because_ of me. I had the misfortune of being born in an ocean lashed by a storm, all far out of my control. My parents were addicts, minds so rotten from the drugs that I don't even want to imagine the nightmare that was their reality. I was nothing to them…another mouth that simply appeared one day, miraculously healthy, though given the cocktail of hallucinogens my mother doubtless took all through her pregnancy I shouldn't even be alive. I was just an animal, Helen. _Less_ than an animal to them. I wonder at times if they even realized I was actually real. But it doesn't matter. They died the same way they lived."

She rubbed her forearm a little, gave a faint shrug. "And for a long time, I was very angry. Angry at them, angry at life, angry at whatever force in the universe had done this to me. I lived the best way I could and attacked anything that I saw as a threat, but I was no more right than my folks were. I was fighting an ocean, angry at mindless, unfeeling waves."

"And then you went to the institute," Helen said softly.

"Yes. And I learned how to be a human being. I learned that instead of fighting the ocean, instead of being angry at it just for _being_ an ocean…you gotta learn how to swim. Look, Doc, I'm not perfect. I have a temper. I smoke and drink, and my idea of shore leave is to crawl into the deepest, grungiest hole I can get to and just exist for a while. But I'm swimming. And because of that, I will never be my parents, never hurt someone the way they did."

"I understand the metaphor but _you_ must understand, Shepard…personal and emotional trauma of that magnitude takes a toll on any human being, no matter their philosophy. And since you've grown up, since you've joined the Alliance, _you've_ had to make decisions and live with the consequences of them. Decisions where people died. These were not someone _else's_ choices affecting a helpless innocent…these were your own. Necessary as they may be, sending friends to die would shake even the strongest of souls. And the murder…that poor boy-"

"Doctor, I understand where you're coming from," Shepard said calmly. "But do not mention him to me again."

She got to her feet, rubbing a hand on the back of her neck. She desperately needed a shower. She could still smell sweat and dirt, and her clothes were itchy. "Doc, I was born in the darkest pit anybody can be born in. And one day, someone took my hand and showed me a different world, a different place. That's why I joined the Alliance. I will die to protect what she showed me. I will fight with every last drop of blood and sweat to preserve it. I have a goal, a channel…and it's worked for me. I have the best therapy available. I get to punch in the faces of a universe full of mercs, criminals, and scum…and I get to leave the galaxy around me a little bit better each time I do. I get to make a difference."

Scrubbing at her hair with her fingers she murmured, "I'd best go and get washed. No doubt I smell like a varren. I'll see you later, Doc."

She went to the door, then paused as it slid open, looking back. "And don't worry. I promise if I ever snap and go on a crazy killing rampage, I'll do you the courtesy of letting you know in advance, ok?"

It was the grin that did it. Perpetually lopsided it made her look ten years younger, like a kid opening a Christmas gift. Chakwas couldn't help a faint chuckle as the commander turned and left, heading for the showers and a soft bed.

While the conversation had done little to put her at ease regarding the commander's stability, she could at least understand and respect her viewpoint. As well, she began to understand just what it was that Anderson had been talking about. If nothing else, Shepard was a leader, one that had a sort of magnetism that lead people to follow her without question.

And, after all…she was leading them into Hell. If you had to follow someone there, wasn't it better that they had been there before…and managed to find their way out again?

* * *

><p>The low, ever-present pulsating hum of the ship around them formed both a comforting blanket, and a relentless torture. Benezia's feet made no sound as she stepped from the corridor into the room. Only a matriarch could have hidden how she felt so completely as she did at this moment.<p>

The room, like the rest of the ship, was dark and oppressive, with odd angles and almost flowing features. The hum sounded predatory here, eager and waiting. Those gathered looked no less eager.

One watching the matriarch very closely might have noticed the faint loosening of her shoulders, the ever so miniscule flutter of her eyelashes, as she realized the form strapped down on the table was _not_ her daughter. Instead it was a male turian, stripped to the waist and looking a little worse for wear.

_Osco hasn't failed yet, then_, she said to herself silently, and felt an almost disapproving shift in the feel of the ship around her. Thoughts had little privacy in this place.

Geth were not allowed aboard this ship, instead keeping to their own vessels that followed Sovereign through the black like scavenger fish clinging to the belly of a shark. Two of those in attendance were asari, young commandos who had followed Benezia from Thessia. Young, eager, their gaze was full of worship and a blood-lust the matriarch doubted they knew they had. The third figure was a salarian, a doctor, lingering in a back shadow.

The last present was Saren himself. He stood looking down at the turian spread-eagle on the table as if he were a bug to be dissected. He didn't so much as glance up at Benezia's entrance, and she made no move to interrupt.

"You failed to retrieve the girl and her evidence, Seivus. Now my status as a Spectre has been stripped and more eyes than needed to be are on our little operation."

Seivus blinked one eye, the second lost in a puff of swollen flesh. Gleams of sapphire slowly ran like tears down his cheek. "It wasn't my fault," he said frantically. "Those marines came out of nowhere, they had a krogan with them. I was lucky to get out of there alive! It…it's not like this wasn't going to happen eventually. The Council would have found out what was going on sooner or later-"

"The Council are a bunch of dense politicians who were more than content to stick their fingers in their collective ears and sing la la la, rather than address anything going wrong with their perfect little galaxy, their prize Spectre!" Saren snapped. "They would have remained gleefully oblivious until the day we sailed down their throats if you had done your job properly!"

"The marines-!"

"Weak, _soft_ humans. And the krogan was an old, wretched, battered excuse of the breed."

Saren's eyes narrowed before he straightened and turned toward the doctor. On the table, Seivus continued to blubber.

"I won't fail you again," he promised. "That soldier was there, the one you wanted dead…please, give me another chance. I'll bring you her head on a spike before the week is out! I won't fail you again!"

Saren was deaf to his pleas, and the pitiful Seivus's death was not pleasant to behold. Some part of Benezia deep inside wept at her lack of horror, and she did not bother to shift her gaze.

When Seivus had fallen permanently silent, Saren looked at the salarian doctor and the two commandos, saying simply "Leave."

Benezia didn't even stir herself to step out of the way as the trio passed her and left her and the former Spectre alone.

Ignoring the body, Saren leaned on the edge of the exam table and folded his arms, looking sternly at Benezia. "The team that I sent failed to retrieve your daughter. The volcano erupted."

The matriarch only looked at him silently. She wondered where her grief was, and knew it had been lost to the insistent vibrations of this ship. After only a slight pause, Saren continued.

"However it seems this…Commander Shepard was dirtside right before the eruption. From the reports we have intercepted on the Alliance secure channel, it seems she may have your daughter in her custody. This…Shepard, is becoming a serious thorn in my side."

"She is human," Benezia stated. "They are hot-headed, rash…but no matter how talented this Commander may seem, she will not stand against the united force of the Geth, or even a squad of my own commandos. Do not let her interference distract you from our goal. We must find the Conduit."

Saren nodded slowly. "Indeed. To that end, it looks like our little pet on Noveria may be ready for interrogation. Apparently she and her children are making a nuisance of themselves. I am sending you with a significant contingent of Geth to secure the facility and extract the information we need."

"And what am I to do with her once I have the coordinates?" Benezia asked. Saren barked a laugh, straightening.

"What do I care? Kill her, or better yet…release her and her children. Perhaps they will serve as enough of a distraction to the Council and the Alliance to make up for Seivus's incompetence."

Benezia inclined her head slightly. "What of you?"

"I have a human colony to visit. I would like that crazy little doctor of yours to come along, she may be of use."

"Gellian? She is not aboard. I sent her to take care of some business elsewhere. You are welcome to Shiala instead."

"She does not have the medical degree or the IQ," Saren grumped.

"Perhaps not, but she is very good at…extracting information."

"Very well. Make your arrangements for Noveria. You will leave as soon as possible."

Benezia inclined her head in agreement, then turned and walked out.

* * *

><p>The glass window of the Alliance recruitment station pressed the boy's nose, lips, and cheeks flat as he leaned against it, cupping his hands around his temples to cut the glare and see within. The recruitment officer glanced over at him a time or two, shaking her head with a little smirk. He could not hear what was said, but he watched intently.<p>

After what seemed an eternity of time, the dark-haired girl rose and shook the recruiter's hand, then headed his way. Leaving an almost perfect smudge of his face behind, the boy ran over to the door and beamed a grin.

"You did it?" he gushed, clasping his fingers below his chin in glowing joy. "You gonna be a hero, Del?"

Shepard smiled at the twelve year old and bobbed her head. "I'm going to be a hero," she replied affirmatively.

He let out a squeal of happiness, flinging his arms around her and planting a wet kiss on her cheek. She hugged him back tightly with a laugh, then took his hand as they headed back down the street toward home. He swung their joined hands back and forth, every once in a while giving a little skip, the grin on his face never fading.

Paul Salgado was twelve, but in many ways he had never grown beyond six years old. His mother, Nancy, had been accidentally exposed to eezo while she was pregnant with him. A medical nurse, a scanner she'd been working with had been inefficiently repaired, exposing it's eezo core when she went to use it. She herself escaped harm but the embryonic Paul was not so lucky.

Sometimes, kids exposed to eezo in utero were born normally, and grew into biotics. Most were not so fortunate…and Paul was among the 'most'.

At four he had developed his first brain tumor. They were able to remove it, but he was left quite mentally impaired by the operation. His mother was told he would never really progress beyond pre-school age. Two years ago, at ten years old, he had developed a second brain tumor that they had removed. Fortunately this one was not so deep and they excised it without causing further damage, but his prognosis was grim. He would only continue to develop tumors as he grew, and they would worsen drastically with puberty. They did not expect him to live to see twenty.

He was Shepard's best friend, the brother she had never had. His mother Nancy was the nurse who had first welcomed her to the institute when she had been arrested that final time. Now seventeen Shepard had been out of that place for three years and the infinitely kind Nancy had actually insisted the orphan girl stay with her and her son. She'd taken Paul with her on occasion to the institute and she had seen how quickly he'd taken to the troubled Del Shepard, the good he did her.

Paul had often told Shepard, even in the early days of their acquaintance, that she was going to be a hero. He was so matter-of-fact about it, completely convinced. Like most boys he was fascinated with soldiers and space and had declared repeatedly that he wanted to be a soldier, to go to space and be a hero when he grew up. Neither his mother nor Shepard had the heart to tell him that the chances of him actually growing up were slim, and even if he did survive to be an adult, he could sadly never be a soldier.

But Shepard _could_. The last few months she'd given it a great deal of thought, and finally talked about it with Nancy. The nurse was both supportive and enthusiastic, but when Paul had heard nothing could compare to the boy's excitement. He insisted on walking with her down to the recruiting station but couldn't quite get up the nerve to go in to the building himself.

Now he clung to her hand, skipping and dancing and grinning until Shepard couldn't help but laugh.

They were nearing the stairs to the apartment when she looked up and found their path blocked by a turian. Saren's mandibles clicked faintly, his blue eyes glowing with ethereal light.

"You're _no_ hero," he murmured. "You're nothing but a murderer."

The sky, just moments ago bright and sunny, had darkened to a tortured red. A great metal hand was reaching down from the clouds, and as she turned to grab Paul, to urge him to run, the boy putrefied and rotted in her hands.

"Bestust buds, Del," he slurred as he came apart. "Bestust buds…"


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard's eyes snapped open to the dim half-dark of her cabin. Unconsciously her eyes shifted to the time display on her desk…she'd been asleep only about five hours. Shifting into a sit, she scrubbed a hand over her face.

That dull, incessant thud had reawakened in her head, beating a slow crimson pulse.

Giving up on sleep, she dropped to the floor of her cabin and began to do push-ups, continuing until she was soaked in sweat and every shred of the dream had faded into fog. As she worked, she thought about what Chakwas had said.

_Could she be right? The headaches, the nightmares…could this be me going crazy?_

Shifting she sat on the floor against the bed, wiping a hand over her face before she rose. There was no point in trying to sleep any more. She might as well get an early start on the day.

Showering, she put on a clean uniform then sat down at her desk, checking her messages and status reports. She finished the report for the Council regarding T'Soni's retrieval and sent it on, before deciding it was time for breakfast and coffee. The headache wasn't going away.

Putting in an order for a specialist meeting at 0800 she left the room and headed to the mess, scrounging up a tray and a cup of joe. Desperate for a smoke she ate and rubbed her forehead, wondering if she should bring these headaches up with Chakwas.

_Don't be silly. They're not even strong enough to be called 'headaches', not really. Just a mild irritation. Not a big deal._

By the time the others started to gather to eat, Shepard was in the CIC going over the day's schedule with Pressley.

"We have some reports of geth in these sectors here…nothing serious or concrete, but we should have a look," he told her, highlighting a region of systems on the galaxy map. "To be honest, I think it's a snipe-hunt. Colonies and ships got wind of the rumor of geth attacking Eden Prime and now see the damn things in every shadow."

"Even so, we have to follow up on every lead," Shepard told him. "We can't risk that the one we ignore is the one that's real."

"Understood. I've also been monitoring the Alliance band. Nothing drastic but I've been hearing the name Cerberus bandied about quite a bit more recently. What do you know about them?"

"Pro-human splinter group. One of those 'anti-alien' propaganda firms like Terra Nova, I think," she said. "I've heard some disturbing rumors but nothing really concrete. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "As I said, just seems like their name is coming up more and more often. If it's pricking the Alliance's ears it may wind up on our plate in some form or another in the near future."

"Understood. Keep an eye on it, but for right now our main concern is Saren and the geth. I've got to get down to the meeting. You've got the CIC until I'm back."

"Yes, ma'am."

She headed down, and had just noted with some mild relief that the faint ache in her head seemed to have finally gone, when sharp pain suddenly lanced through her skull, white flashing through her vision. She gasped faintly through clenched teeth, stumbling against the wall and planting the heels of her hands to her forehead as if to prevent her own skull from simply exploding.

In a swirling green mist of nausea, images rose from the dark and faded away again into fire. The great metal hands. The shrieking synthetic, melting and peeling away. A great twisting inferno, ringed by a floating graveyard.

And just that fast, it was gone again. The pain melted away, leaving her leaning against the wall. She felt clammy and chilly, her legs weak, her stomach slowly roiling. As the corridor solidified around her again she took a few shaky breaths.

Chakwas. Her first instinct was to immediately go to the medical bay, tell Chakwas what had happened. Something was seriously _wrong_. Perhaps the Beacon had caused some sort of neurological damage she'd missed on her first scans?

But…no. No, she couldn't do that. She'd be declared unfit for duty, shipped back to Earth for medical tests…Spectre or no. The Council would assign someone else to find Saren…someone who would make a half-hearted attempt and not take any of his threat seriously.

_And what if something like this happens in the midst of a fire-fight? You could be putting all your people at risk for your pride._

She straightened from the wall. Beyond feeling a bit wrung out and weak in the knees, she felt just fine…not even a lingering ache.

_No. No, if it happens again, then I'll tell Chakwas. I can hold it together. It's an aberration. Just an aberration, that's all. I can hold it together._

Taking one more deep breath, making sure she was composed, she turned and strode into the conference room, grateful at least no one had seen what had just happened.

Just up the corridor, she missed the wide blue eyes follow her path out of sight. Liara lowered her head faintly, brows knitting a moment thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>"I'm en route to Noveria," the holographic form of Benezia stated from where it stood on the shuttle's small projection pad. "She and her children are getting somewhat out of control, and Saren believes she is ready to provide the information that we need."<p>

"The bugs," Gellian stated with a faint grimace of disgust. The gash in her lip was all but invisible now, nearly healed thanks to her small supply of medi-gel. Two of her teeth had been slightly loosened by the blow to the rock, but she didn't think it would pose any long-term concern. She was leaning back in the pilot's chair, eyes half-lidded, her face laconic.

Her 'medicine' did indeed work much better out here than it did aboard Sovereign.

"The Queen is not going to cooperate," she said matter-of-factly. "You are going to have to force the coordinates out of her."

"That should not prove to be much of a problem," Benezia retorted. "So long as we find the Conduit in time, it hardly matters what happens to her _or_ her progeny."

"Naturally, you are more concerned about _your_ progeny," the human doctor stated. "Don't be. Liara is safe and sound. Probably got a little singed toward the end but nothing the Alliance medics wouldn't have been able to handle."

"The Alliance," Benezia retorted. "You were to bring her back to _me_, not let that Alliance soldier take her."

"Circumstances were a little out of my control. Better that soldier than Saren's thugs, wouldn't you agree? Once they realize the girl is _hardly_ on your side they will protect her well enough."

"The information she has on the Protheans might be enough to stop Saren's plan. It's bad enough this new human Spectre activated the Beacon and now seeks to interfere. With Liara's aide she might change from merely a minor irritation into a major obstacle."

"And she might go utterly mad as her brain tries to process information meant for a totally different neurologic set-up," Gellian snorted. "If not for Sovereign's aide on the matter, I have no doubt that Saren would be a drooling vegetable under the same burden. She has no such assistance. Benezia, I love you my friend, and you are the only reason I got myself involved in this little escapade, but you are the galaxy's grandest pessimist at times."

The Matriarch was silent a moment, then said, "You did not just get involved for me, and you know it."

Gellian grinned slowly. "True, but that's neither here nor there at the moment. Liara is out of our hands, for good or ill. If I can avoid it I'd rather not return to Sovereign."

"Saren wished you to join him at the Zhu's Hope colony. He felt your expertise would be of use."

The human woman snorted again. "Sovereign or the Thorian? No thank you to either, my brain is demented enough without either such weight upon it. I will check in with the breeding facility instead. Krogan scientists are hardly the brightest bulbs in the jar, and they keep pestering me for my assistance anyway."

Benezia inclined her head in agreement. "Very well. I will speak with you later, my friend."

Gellian kissed her finger tips and then wiggled them. "Ta," she smirked, then switched off the hologram.

* * *

><p>Shepard sat with her elbows on her knees, her fingers threaded in front of her lips, eyes far away as she listened to the conversation around her. T'Soni had, rather timidly, been the last of the group to appear. Despite still having somewhat darker blue circles beneath her eyes, the young asari looked none the worse for wear, but it was clear she was a bit self-conscious.<p>

"My mother told me nothing," she admitted. "I had not even spoken to her for some years before she left the home world. If an old colleague had not contacted me to tell me what Saren Arterius had done, what my mother was under suspicion for, I would never have known. We do not see eye to eye but…I was surprised. This does not seem like her."

"Clearly, she's changed some since you were a kid," Alenko stated, but not without sympathy.

"Maybe it's not so black and white," Garrus proposed. "Even if Benezia is in cooperation with Saren she may not know all his plans, all his moves. It could be she had no idea he was going to go after her daughter."

"I would like to believe that," Liara ventured. "But my mother is nothing if not shrewd, and I find it hard to believe that between her and Osco she would not know of the full designs of anyone she associated with in such a way."

"Who's Osco?" Shepard asked, looking up for the first time.

"Dr. Gellian Osco," Liara stated. "She is a human doctor, quite genius level. She has been my mother's colleague for the last decade, I believe. I have not met her in person but from what I know of her, she is not only highly intelligent, but possesses a level of psychopathy and possibly an addictive personality disorder. She used to work for a human group called Cerberus on some of their genetic and social experimentation. I believe she suffers from an affliction known as 'Petit Wahlers'."

"No offense," Wrex grumped. "But it seems your mother has a habit of keeping questionable company."

Liara straightened. "My mother's association with Dr. Osco was purely one of aide," she said defensively. "My mother believed she could help her. And from my understanding she tempered Osco's unstable tendencies very well. It was more than the humans were willing to do for her, they wished to have her arrested and committed as insane."

She suddenly blinked, horrified as she looked across the room at Williams, Shepard, and Alenko. "I…n-no offense, I didn't mean to make it sound…humans, I mean, I-"

"It's all right, Tianlán. No offense taken," Shepard replied, then looked at Alenko. "Petit Wahlers. I've heard of that. Didn't Chakwas mention that?"

"P-Petit Wahlers is a human genetic condition," Liara supplied hesitantly. "It is very rare an infant with the condition lives past birth, and those that do are generally of limited functionality. It is a brain deformity that causes only a small amount of brain tissue to actually develop while filling in the empty spaces with simple fluid."

"Hydrocephalus," Williams stated with a nod.

"Yes, a form of," Liara replied. "Usually there is not enough actual brain tissue developed to survive, or to support more than the most primitive function. However in rare cases, the infant develops into a normal, functional intelligence for a while. Then, usually around maturity, the brain starts an electrical overload, known as a mental cascade seizure, that stimulates every region at once. The sufferer begins to recite memories, measurements, colors or numbers in an attempt to make sense of the chaos, and then soon lapses into a coma and perishes as the neural tissue degrades under the onslaught."

"But you described this Osco as a genius, and if she worked with Cerberus for any length of time before going to Thessia, she's well past maturity."

"I do not know for certain, but I believe she is in what you humans would call 'middle-age'. Osco is the rarest exception of all. She did not develop an average intelligence but rather became a genius..and her own genius helped her to devise a way of preventing the mental cascade from occurring. She takes regular medications and drugs, most illegal, to keep her neurologic bioelectric signature in check and so has managed to prevent degradation."

"This is fascinating, but it really doesn't help us find Saren _or_ the Conduit," Garrus pointed out.

Shepard nodded a little. "True, but if this Osco joined Saren's cause along with Benezia then it may mean he has some interest in genetics or experimentation…I doubt he'd be letting her genius go to waste."

"The Conduit could be some kind of bio-engineered life-form, or weapon," Tali supplied. "Or perhaps Saren means to build some kind of made-to-order army."

"Exactly. At any rate, too much information is better than not enough," Shepard agreed. "Doctor T'Soni, I believe that Saren wanted you taken for your Prothean expertise. Perhaps to help him _find_ this Conduit. Have you heard of it?"

"No," the asari admitted. "Despite my years of study there is simply far too little information regarding the Protheans. Beyond a few ruins it is as if they never existed at all. We have no real clues regarding their culture, evolution, physiology…only traces of their technology. The Beacons, the Mass Relays, the Citadel. From these we can deduce that they were quite advanced but then they simply seem to have vanished, nearly every trace of them erased."

"I know why," Shepard replied, straightening for the first time and leaning back in her seat.

"With all due respect," Liara said softly. "There are a thousand different theories, and proponents of each that would claim their theory gospel truth. I have found no evidence to support any of them."

Shepard's smirk was as lopsided as always. "Betcha I can tell you one you've never heard. They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines called the Reapers."

The asari's blue eyes fluttered in a pair of rapid blinks. "Reapers? That…that is an old myth about a personification of Death, is it not?"

"Every race I've met has their own anthropomorphism of death," Shepard told her. "Different names for the same thing. I suppose when the Protheans saw them coming, they called them whatever word _they_ used for this personification. The word they used translates to me and apparently to Saren as 'Reapers'."

"I…I don't understand."

"There was a Prothean Beacon recently unearthed on Eden Prime," Shepard said patiently. "Saren attacked the colony, and used the Beacon himself before attempting to destroy it. Unlucky for him we got to it before it exploded and rather accidentally, I used it as well. It…_downloaded_, I guess is the best word…visions, information, directly into my brain. Not that I could really make sense of any of it but when I first heard the name 'Reapers' afterward, it was like remembering a song from my childhood, or an old vid I had once seen."

T'Soni's blue eyes had gone so wide they seemed to take up her entire face. "Yes," she said, shifting to the edge of her seat, leaning forward eagerly. "Yes, that makes _sense_. The Beacons were designed to download information directly into the mind of the user. They were, of course, designed for a Prothean brain which would be quite different from any other species in existence today…your brain would simply not know _how_ to handle or interpret the information! A lesser mind would have completely collapsed under the deluge…this is incredible, Commander!"

"Glad to know I have a strong mind." Shepard's smirk was slightly bitter. Liara shook her head.

"No, you do not understand. You should be _insane_, or comatose. That you're functional, that you were able to decipher even a small portion of the information into any kind of understandable format is…there is not a _word_ for what it is!"

"Be careful before you wet your seat, asari," Wrex snorted in amusement.

"Am I the only one a little _alarmed_ here?" Williams asked. "Is the Commander under risk of going insane or…or suffering some kind of mental break?"

"Relax, Ash," Shepard replied. "I'm sure if I were in any danger it would have happened by now."

Casual as her response was, she couldn't help thinking of her headaches, the incident in the hallway.

"No, no," Liara assured, echoing Shepard's sentiment. "If it were to happen, it would have happened quite swiftly. I am sure the Commander is in no immediate danger, though I do not suspect it is pleasant having a mind full of information that your brain cannot file or process."

Her expression turned slightly intent, and Shepard knit her brows faintly. Her gut told her the asari knew something…about the nightmares, perhaps…or the headaches.

_But how? How could she know?_

"So what do we do?" Tali asked. "We need that information to stop Saren, to find out what this Conduit is. His plans have something to do with these Reapers and I for one am not eager to discover first-hand what the Protheans experienced thousands of years ago. There has to be some way to make sense of it."

T'Soni's intent position seemed to shrink back some, becoming once again slightly more timid, unsure. Shepard immediately fixed on it.

"You have an idea, doctor?"

Liara licked her lips slightly, nervously. "I…I am not sure it will work," she admitted. "However if you would like, I can attempt to join my mind with yours. Asari are…well, we…we have a bit more experience at mental control than your species. I may be able to impart some of this control, help you to make some sense out of the chaos."

"That's kind of creepy," Alenko commented.

"Creepy…? I do not-"

"Ignore him, doctor," Shepard interrupted. "How…involved would this be?"

"If you are afraid that I will be able to read your mind or to control you, Shepard, do not be. This is not telepathy or mind control. Admittedly I would…be able to _feel_ some of your stronger emotions, but mostly it would be limited to simply sharing the unprocessed information. A much deeper and far more personal bond would be required for anything more than this."

"Sounds like it would be worth a shot," Garrus said reluctantly. "I don't see that we have any other option."

"Neither do I," Shepard admitted. She rubbed a hand over her face with a sigh. "All right. What do I have to do?"

"Simply stand up, Commander," T'Soni urged, rising from her own seat. Shepard obeyed, getting to her feet as the asari walked over. They were of a height, and as the asari stopped less than a foot away, Shepard could see the faintly darker blue freckles on her nose.

"Look into my eyes," she urged, and Shepard grinned.

"I'm not going to cluck like a chicken after this is over, am I?" she asked. Immediately Liara seemed to recoil faintly, confusion and anxiety appearing on her face.

"What? A chicken, I-?"

"Relax, I'm sorry, it was a joke. A bad one."

"I…o-okay," she replied tremulously, then took a deep breath. "M-my eyes, Commander. Listen to my voice."

Shepard nodded, fixing her dark brown eyes to the asari's bright blue ones. They reminded her of the sea on a clear day, and she fancied she could hear seagulls, the soft shifting of waves. It was only vaguely that she heard the doctor speaking.

"Find a peaceful place, Commander. Let your tensions go. Let your consciousness lift free and fly to that place. Let it fill the universe around you. You will see that we are all connected, one to another. We are all the same, one with life, one with creation. Find that place, Commander. Are you there?"

"Yes," Shepard heard herself murmur. She was still aware of the room around her, the others watching silently. She was aware of Liara standing in front of her, could see her face, hear her perfectly well.

And yet, at the same time she was standing under the sunlight. The gulls and seabirds were calling. She could feel her boots and yet feel sand beneath her toes. The shifting of waves was soothing and steady, blue and pale green.

Then suddenly Liara blinked, and her eyes went from blue to the deep black of space. Her voice whispered but it created a wind that blew Shepard away from the beach, away from the conference room, sending her careening backward.

"_Embrace eternity!"_

The screeching of tortured metal being rent to pieces. Cloying, acrid smoke filled the air as great hands came out of the sky. People broke apart like leaves, erupting into fire. Shepard was running, fleeing, but a wall of flame caught her, consumed her.

A great twisting inferno in the midst of a graveyard. Nowhere to hide. She stumbled over the dead, the rotting, seeing faces of her friends, her crew, twisted in the most hideous agony.

_You fumble in ignorance._

A synthetic eye blinked out of the skinned corpse, weeping white.

_We are the vanguard of your destruction._

Death. Death was chasing her. Death tore the ship from out of the sky and cast it down in a torrent of brimstone.

Fire. _Fire_. She was burning!

Then a wave loomed in front of her, a cooling blue shift of liquid. She crashed into it and was enveloped with peace, with calm. Weary, heavy, she sank.

_Scream you little rat!_

_Bestust buds, Del. Bestust ever!_

The Room. The Man screamed in her face, his brown teeth grimacing in a cloud of miasmic breath, rancid and grotesque. The Woman lolled in her own refuse. The Knife cut into her collar.

_SCREAM!_

And she screamed, and bit, and the Man hollered and he hit her, and down into darkness she spiraled.

She walked hand in hand with Paul, the boy singing and shuffling and dancing alongside her. She laughed and it felt good. It felt a long time coming.

"You're gonna be a hero, Del! You're gonna be the biggest and strongest hero there _is_!"

"LT, what do we do? They're dug in tight!"

She turned to look at Corporal Krueger. He was coated in dust, haggard and weary, just a boy himself. Gunfire rattled the air like bones. Before them, the tunnel to the bunker was a black mouth, a yawning abyss.

"Company two and three, _move in_!" She ordered, and watched the men fall apart, grinning skulls behind their helmets as they slowly collapsed. "Company four and five…!"

"He didn't understand, Del. He just didn't understand what they wanted. They hit him so…so _hard_, so many times…my poor little boy-"

Reality returned with a sickening jolt. Shepard blinked stupidly, feeling fingers dig into her shoulders before a weight started to draw her forward. Moving on instinct rather than cautious thought, she grasped hold of T'Soni and somehow managed to steady her, to keep her from collapsing. In a heartbeat Garrus and Williams were there, also taking hold of her.

"Whoa! Careful there!" Ashley gasped.

"Commander, you ok?" Alenko asked, taking her arm. She shook him off, though not un-gently.

"I'm…I'm just fine," she said, reorienting herself. T'Soni seemed to have steadied on her feet, but her face was pale, those dark circles under her eyes having deepened. "Tianlán, are you ok?"

"I'm…yes, yes, I'm fine," she whispered, touching her fingers to her forehead. "I…the process is wearying, that is all."

"Sit down," Shepard urged. Garrus released the doctor as Shepard took hold of her, brooking no argument as she all but lifted the girl and set her back in her seat, crouching in front of her. "Just take deep breaths, steady yourself."

"Really, I am fine," Liara replied, lowering her hand and sitting up a bit straighter. "I was not expecting the strength of the information…f-from the Beacon. We were quite correct, Commander. Your mind has only managed to process a portion of the information. I have made sense of what I can but…I'm afraid it is still far too fractured to make much coherent sense. I heard the name 'Reapers', as you did…more a _feeling_ than a word."

"But nothing else to explain the Conduit or how to find it, or what these Reapers actually are?" Williams pressed. Liara shook her head wearily.

"They _are _synthetic, that was all I was able to glean. I am…I am sorry. Perhaps we can try again later, when…we have both recovered."

"Right, I want you to go and get some rack time. No, better yet, I want Chakwas to look at you first-"

"Thank you, Commander, but I assure you, I am merely fatigued. Sleep is the only cure I need or want. I shall go and lay down for a time."

Shepard narrowed her eyes slightly, then nodded, rising and stepping back to give the asari room to get to her feet. As Liara rose and stepped past, Shepard turned to the others.

"The rest of you, dismissed."

As they began to file out, Tali rose and stepped over to Shepard. "Are you sure you are all right, Commander?"

"I'm fine," she reassured. "It was…disorienting more than anything else."

"And what you saw, was it any clearer than before?"

"Not…_really_ no. Just pictures again, feelings. Nothing much more clear than before."

"So it didn't help."

"Maybe? I don't know…I feel a little more relaxed is all, a bit more centered but…well. It was worth a shot. Maybe she'll be able to make sense of it where I can't."

"I hope so Commander," Tali intoned, eyes flashing faintly behind her mask. "I'm just glad you're all right."

As the quarian left the room, Shepard bent her head, pinching the bridge of her nose a moment. Already the images were broken, scattered like a bad dream that melted with waking. Scrubbing her fingers over her lips she dropped her hand.

"Joker, are you on the line?"

_{I'm always on the line, Commander. I'm eevverrryyywhere.}_

"I had a rash once that was like that," she snorted. "See if you can't get through to the Council. I sent them a report but I want to speak to them in person. Let me know if and when they answer."

_{You got it. Also, Pressley put us on course for the Verge. ETA is about sixteen hours.}_

"Understood."

Striding out she headed down to her quarters, checking the reports on her console before digging out her battered cigar case. Normally she never smoked while ship-board or on duty, but if she ever needed a smoke, it was right then.

_And a shot of whiskey or two, if I had it._

Plucking out a stogie she lit it, taking a calming draw before sitting down on the bed. The smoke curled its way lazily up toward the ceiling, then was sharply snatched by the air purification system and whisked away.

There had been more there than just the strange visions from the Beacon. Some of the images were personal, _memories_…memories she wished she could forget. She wondered, somewhat troubled, if T'Soni had seen them too.

Tucking the cigar into the corner of her mouth she reached over and picked up the crayon drawing, lovingly smoothing a hand over it. When she'd first met Paul he was in the common room of the institute. It was deserted except for him, Nancy, and Shepard herself. Nancy had brought Shepard down for the sole reason of introducing her to Paul.

Kid was six years old then. His head was still shaved from his operation, a small pink scar showing where they had cut in. His pudgy cheeks were liberally covered with freckles, and he had his tongue poked sternly in the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on his coloring. His feet kicked to a happy rhythm no one else could hear.

He hadn't drawn her this particular picture until several weeks later. It was all she had left of him.

_He just didn't understand, Del. They hit him so hard…_

* * *

><p>Exhausted, not yet even fully recovered from her ordeal on Therum, Liara returned to her bunk in the lab almost as if in a stupor, to fall immediately asleep the moment she lay down.<p>

Yet heavy as it was, her sleep was not untroubled nor was it nearly long enough, and after only a few hours she found herself waking, feeling leaden.

Laying there in the half-dark, listening to the soft hum of the ship's systems around her, she reflected on the meld, what she had seen.

Shepard had been correct. The images were chaotic, broken, almost nonsensical. She was afraid she had done little to help sort them, initially overwhelmed herself with the power and alien nature of the information.

The theme of death and destruction _had_ been clear, however, with Shepard taking the role of numerous random victims of what seemed like apocalyptic forces. The great metal hands reaching out of tortured skies, the shrieks of the dying, the dissolving of landscapes into flames…her worst childhood nightmares had not been so terrifying.

And yet that had not been all.

Liara had been an observer, a disembodied presence rendered helplessly watching, merely trying to orient herself. At one point, Shepard had seemed to turn and run directly to her, colliding with her, flowing into her as if Liara were made of water. There had been a shockingly powerful sensation of oneness, and then the images returned.

A room, grungy and in disrepair, lit only by a single sickly bulb. She had seen a child, a human child, with tangled black hair and a grimy, too-thin face. Scratched, dirty, wearing little but rags, she had been assailed by a human man, a man who had struck her first with his fists, and then with a knife. On a nearby sofa a woman had lolled indolent, unfeeling, while the man pummeled the poor child.

Though she had no way to recognize her in this state, Liara felt…_knew_…the child was the Commander, that she was seeing a memory from her life…a powerful and exceedingly traumatic memory. The man called the girl foul names as he struck her, the knife-blade opening a thin gash along her collarbone. He demanded over and over that she scream, and in final desperate retribution the child _had_ screamed. A scream, but _not_ one of pain or fear. Instead it was anger, mindless and primitive, and the child latched on to the man's wrist with her teeth, tenacious.

Once the man had ripped her off he threw her against the wall, knocking her senseless. That seemed the final insult he had to him at that moment, and he seemed to have lost his taste for his victim. The girl had curled up, made herself small, and Liara wished nothing more than to go to her side, to comfort her, to banish this memory.

But she could not. And the scene changed.

The Commander walked hand in hand with a boy, the memory itself pleasant but surrounded with a thick fog of grief that choked sobs in Liara's throat. Then a dusty battlefield, Shepard again and again ordering men to their deaths.

Liara had torn away then, out of desperation. The meld, the contact was somehow tearing these memories from Shepard's subconscious to the fore, and Liara didn't wish to continue causing the commander…or _herself_…any more trauma.

It was now, as she lay here alone on her bunk, that she realized it had not been her _or_ the commander that had brought these memories to light. The images from the Beacon had tangled in these already existent memories like strands of a net, hauling them to the surface whenever the net was pulled. Intrinsically entwined, one could not be accessed without activating the others. The only solution was to cut the binds of the net, but that also could not be done casually or hastily. To try would probably permanently destroy the Beacon data, and likely Shepard's own mind with it.

Shepard.

Liara shifted onto her side, tucking her hands beneath her cheek and drawing her knees up as she used to do as a child.

Liara had little to no experience with humans before now. She knew only what she had heard or read on extranet sites, the information of little importance in the wake of her work with the Protheans. Few of the other races cared much for the humans. The krogan saw them as weak and soft, the turians saw them as impudent, undisciplined. From what she understood herself, humans were hot-headed and bullish, ramming their way into the center of any activity and declaring themselves Lord and Master of it.

And now here was Shepard. Liara simply didn't know what to make of her.

She had come riding in to the rescue as if simply walking into a bar, swiftly assessing what needed doing and doing it without hesitation or questioning of herself. Liara could see in her shades of that that hot-headed bullishness she'd heard of before but they were only two shades in an endless array of color.

Liara had seen the strength, but also the momentary weakness…there, outside of the conference room. She had seen Shepard gasp, seen her stumble and catch herself. She had said nothing, of course, as the woman seemed to recover herself and then show no sign of her affliction, but it concerned her. When she heard of Shepard's contact with the Beacon she knew immediately that was the cause, the trigger that had set off that momentary spell, and she had hoped so much to help, to pay Shepard back for saving her.

Instead she was unsure how much of a help she had been, and she had seen things that the Commander no doubt had wished to keep private. Though she could not have helped it, the knowledge of that pained her.

Sitting up, she planned to rise, to go relieve herself and perhaps find some food, as it was clear she would get no more sleep now. As she got to her feet however, the soft chime of her door sounded.

Expecting it was Dr. Chakwas, she went over and answered it, only to blink stupidly.

"Commander! I…was not expecting you."

"I came to see how you were feeling," Shepard stated, then gestured at the room. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, of course I…of _course_, please…it is your lab after all…"

She stepped aside and as Shepard past she caught a faint smell, like distant leaves burning on a golden afternoon. It was strangely pleasant, yet had an oddly feral quality to it.

Reaching over she turned up the lights, gesturing at the only chair in the room. "Please, Commander…please sit."

As the human woman sat down, Liara smoothed out the blanket on the cot, and then perched timidly upon it. Frantically she tried to think of something to say, some appropriate open to the conversation. Needless to say small talk was not her forte.

"You have been smoking," she noted. The human blinked, an odd expression coming to her face.

"How do you know that?" she asked. Sensing she'd made a faux pas, Liara clasped her hands in her lap.

"When you entered I…I could smell it on you- not that it was _unpleasant_, I don't mean to imply that you stink-! Oh, Goddess, please, I am sorry. That is not what I meant. I just noted the smell is all. A servant at home used to smoke and though it was a different kind of smell it was recognizable. It was unusual because asari don't usually smoke, we learned a long time ago that it wasn't good for you, and—not that I'm implying-!"

To her eternal relief, Shepard actually burst out laughing, then held up her hands. "Relax, Liara. I know what you meant. It's all right. You didn't offend me."

"Oh, thank the Goddess," Liara breathed, putting a hand momentarily over her heart. "I am sorry, Commander. I am not used to dealing with other people, and have even less experience with your kind."

"Shepard, please," she said with an understanding grin.

"Sh-Shepard then. This is…your given name? Some species place the sur or clan name ahead of their given name. I was unaware humans engaged in that practice."

"Some cultures on Earth do, but no. Shepard is my surname. My given name is Delilah. Always seemed a bit too girly to me. Shepard suits just fine."

"Ok," Liara gave a bashful little smile. "Then I shall call you Shepard."

"Are you sure you're doing ok? That mind meld thing seemed to take a lot out of you."

"It was…I pushed myself a little too hard, I think," she admitted. "Such a joining can be taxing even under the best of circumstances. I should have given myself more time to recover before attempting it. But I assure you, I am quite fine."

"Well, I appreciate you trying, at any rate. It's too bad we didn't get more out of it."

"Yes," Liara admitted, fiddling with the edge of her tunic self-consciously. She wondered if she looked rumpled from sleeping, and smoothed at imaginary wrinkles as she spoke. "But not all is lost. I think once I am a little stronger we can attempt it again. I was unprepared for the force of the images, the chaos of the data. This was…this was dipping a toe into the water to test the temperature, if you will. Now that I have a much better idea of what to expect, another foray may yield more fruit. I am…I am still astonished that you were able to endure it for so long."

"Well, we all have our talents, I guess." She lifted a hand, rubbing at the back of her neck a moment. She looked like there was something she wanted to say, something troubling, and then she seemed to shake it off, and gestured at Liara weakly.

"Tell me about yourself, Liara."

"Me? I'm afraid I am not very interesting. I- oh. I see. You took a risk bringing me aboard, you want to be sure about me. I understand."

She sat up a bit straighter, squaring her shoulders. "I am an archaeologist, as you know. As a child I always felt drawn to the past. Unlocking the secrets of ancient races, of the Protheans…I suppose that is why you fascinate me so much. You touched the Beacon…in a way, you touched their minds for a moment."

Shepard smiled in a way that seemed to only lift one side of her mouth. "You sound like you want to dissect me in a lab somewhere."

"What?" Liara gasped, immediately chiding herself for yet another verbal blunder. "Oh, no! I did not mean…I just think you would be an interesting specimen for an in-depth study-…oh Goddess! That's even worse, isn't it?"

Shepard laughed again. "T'Soni, I was just kidding."

"A…joke? Oh. Oh, I see," she gave a relieved little chuckle. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be. I understand."

She leaned forward as she had done in the conference room, rubbing her hands together a moment before threading them in front of her lips. "Not to poke at something sensitive but…you and your mother. You said you hadn't talked for a few years…you didn't get along?"

"Benezia," Liara breathed sadly. "We loved each other, C-.._Shepard_. When I was very young that was all we needed. But I suppose it is the nature of children and their parents to grow apart. She wanted me to be like her, to look to the future of our people. As you know, I far preferred looking to the past. It was a disagreement that unfortunately separated us for far too long. And now, what she's involved in…what she's doing. I simply cannot understand it. I cannot help but wonder, if I had stayed…"

"We all have regrets in our past," Shepard said quietly, her dark brown eyes sympathetic. "She made her choices, just like everyone else. You just have to trust that she had her reasons…I suppose they must have seemed like good ones at the time."

Liara nodded faintly, her gaze cast downward. Steeling her courage she forced herself to look up, to meet the Commander's gaze. "I…saw what _you_ had to do, Shepard. Those soldiers. That could not have been easy…"

Immediately it seemed those brown eyes hardened, became unreadable. Dropping her hands, Shepard abruptly stood up. Gut sinking, Liara covered her mouth, and then reached out a hand a little. "Commander, I am so sorry, I shouldn't have said-"

"I'll talk to you later, doctor."

As she strode out Liara collapsed forward a little, covering her face. "Oh, Goddess…stupid! I am so thoughtless and _stupid_!"

She had simply wanted to show Shepard that she understood, that she wasn't alone. She didn't feel right hiding from her the fact she had seen her memories but…clearly she should have taken a different approach. Now the Commander would hate her, perhaps throw her off ship for what she'd done!

Stupid! Stupid stupid _stupid!_


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

I had hoped to be up to Noveria in this chapter but...Shepard had other ideas. Since she's the one with the big guns I let her call the shots :) Hope it was worth the wait! I promise, more real action in the next chapter.

* * *

><p>"Commander, you ever get the feeling you're being given the run-around?"<p>

Shepard grunted an affirmative into her coffee. They had been in the Verge now two days, and the only geth they had found seemed to be a small resource gathering party…less than a dozen units engaged in some kind of mining activity. Yet 'ghost pings' and false reports of geth sightings kept pouring in.

Just an hour ago was the worst insult, a ghost ping that pinpointed a geth drop-ship within three hundred kilometers of the _Normandy_. Forget sensors, they should have been able to look out the goddamn window and see the ship clear as day. There was nothing there.

Taking a swallow of the now luke-warm brew she said, "Either the geth have some incredibly advanced new cloaking technology, or we're being distracted."

"I'm…gonna bet on 'distracted'," Joker replied, fingers moving over his holographic display. "I've been working to see if there's any pattern to our notifications, and it looks like I can triangulate them to a set of coordinates not far from here."

"Head us that way and do a full sensor sweep."

"Will do-…" he paused as a flashing notification came up on his screen. "Wow, Commander…looks like the Council is finally calling."

"Send them down to the conference room," she ordered, before she turned and headed toward the CIC. As she reached the conference room she set aside her nearly empty cup and folded her arms, watching as the holographic versions of the Council appeared on the small pads. Before they could even speak, she lifted her voice.

"Two days to return a phone call? Glad to know the geth threat is being taken seriously."

"Settle down, Commander," Councilman Tevos said calmly, her serene asari eyes showing nothing but patience. "We are extremely busy. We cannot drop everything at a moment's notice, not even for a Spectre."

"Right, well, while you lot are up to your wattles deciding what dishes to serve at the annual C-Sec charity ball, some of us are actually working," Shepard snipped back. She was in no mood for bureaucracy or patronization.

"Yes, we can see how _hard_ you are working," the turian said sarcastically. "Destroying an ancient, invaluable ruin and chasing ghosts around the Skyllian Verge."

"Commander," the salarian was fast enough to interrupt before Shepard could get her mouth open, a scathing insult on the tip of her tongue. "We see that you were successful in retrieving Dr. T'Soni, and given your report the destruction of the Prothean ruin was unavoidable. Has she been of some use? Does she know what it is that her mother and Saren are planning?"

"She has been more of use than _some_ people," Shepard grumped, her temper not soothed as she looked pointedly at the turian. "But no, she has no new information on Saren or her mother. We already know what their plan is; to find the Conduit and bring back the Reapers. I've told you as much."

"Yes, we know what you _believe_," the asari intoned. "But without solid proof-"

"Don't worry Councilman. I will find your solid proof. Pray that when I do, I don't use it to beat you senseless. Joker, lose this channel."

In a single breath, all three forms disappeared.

_{Oops, will you look at that? My finger slipped.}_

"Any luck with the ghost pings?"

_{Actually yes. I found a repeater floating at those coordinates. It's geth in design. I hope you like wild goose because we've been chasing them all over this sector. I've taken it out.}_

"Great." She pinched the bridge of her nose, grimacing as she realized that annoying little throb was back. She had not felt it since T'Soni's attempted meld. "Joker, put in for the Citadel. I'm sick of this sector."

_{Aye, Commander. Going to thrash the Council in person? Can I sell tickets?}_

"Concentrate on monitoring reports. I'm going to make a few contacts, see if I can dredge up some more intel that will give us our next move. Shepard out."

Cracking her neck in an attempt to ease the headache, she left the conference room and headed down toward her quarters. Halfway there she changed her mind, instead taking the lift down to engineering.

Adams was surprised to see her, but eager to put her to service once she made her intents known. Not ten minutes later, Shepard had stripped off her uniform tunic and dressed in her black under-tank, was shoulders deep in a maintenance hatchway. Smeared with grease, teeth bared, she bullied off the bolt holding a generator piston into place and then hefted the heavy joint free of its bed. Drawing it out from the hatchway she let it drop to the ground with a clang.

Aware only of someone nearby, she didn't bother to look as she grumped, "Hand me the scrubber, will ya?"

A three fingered hand plucked the scrubber from the tool chest nearby, and passed it over. As Shepard half-disappeared back into the hatchway, Tali crouched to peer in after her.

"Adams and the other engineers are talking. They seem surprised. I take it this is unusual?"

"What's unusual?" Shepard asked, cleaning the joint from her cramped position.

"You doing maintenance work," Tali clarified. "In the Flotilla, there are usually more than enough hands to see maintenance is done, however the Captain of any given ship and even those admirals on the Board do not hesitate to pitch in with such chores. From the reaction of your engineering team, it is not the same on human vessels."

"No reason I can't do the same work I expect of others," Shepard replied, her voice echoing slightly in the hatchway. "But no, it's not 'usual'. Honestly, if I were on the _Jefferson_ again, or the _Bombay_, I would be down in the gym punching the shit out of one of the sandbags, or unloading a few rounds on the range. Frigate like the _Normandy_ doesn't have the luxury of those things, so I gotta take what I can get."

"I see," Tali inclined her head. "You are upset then…working out your frustration."

"Something like that."

She pulled out of the hatchway, tossing the filthy scrubber aside as she sat back, wiping a hand over her face.

"Forgive me if it's personal, Commander…I do not mean to pry," Tali ventured. "But if it is something you wish to talk about-?"

"Nothing words are going to fix, Tali," Shepard sighed with a weak flap of her hand. "Frustrated with asshole politicians, with this time wasted chasing a distraction while Saren is doing God only knows what. Not to mention still trying to sort this Prothean shit out in my head."

"Oh," Tali nodded. "Honestly, I thought it might have something to do with Dr. T'Soni."

Shepard eyed her. "What? Why did you think that?"

The quarian shrugged, shifting to move from her squat to a cross-legged position opposite the commander. "She has seemed upset the last couple of days. Her mood combined with yours…I just figured they were related. I suppose it simply must be what the others are saying."

Shepard's brows knit. "Spill, Tali. What are the others saying?"

There was no getting around gossip, not on a ship this small, but Shepard disliked it intensely. Scuttlebut rarely served any positive purpose and more often than not, was completely wrong.

"That…she might be a spy for Saren. That it may have been arranged for us to pick her up, make it look like a rescue, just to infiltrate our ranks."

"What? Please. That woman doesn't have it in her to lie. I've seen ten year olds that could dissemble better than she could."

"Well, I…I haven't really talked to her," Tali admitted. "I don't think anyone besides you and Chakwas have but…of _course_ we trust you, Commander. Williams just mentioned-"

"Ash," Shepard's look darkened to an almost frightening degree, those faint dangerous sparks showing in the depths of her dark eyes. Getting to her feet she pointed to the discarded joint. "Finish greasing that up and get it reassembled. The Chief and I need to have a discussion."

"Y-yes Commander," Tali said timidly. As Shepard left she put a hand to her face-plate, hanging her head. "_Keelah_, I hope I didn't get her into too much trouble…"

* * *

><p>"The 5' caps are fragmentary," Gellian said with no lack of irritation as she peered into the scope. "You are going to lose every single one of this latest batch to degradation from exonucleases. Do you not have <em>any<em> quality controls? Are you _children_? I could clone a level four reptilian at age six with my plastic _Easy Bake Oven_!"

Despite the fact that the form looming over her was krogan…rather large and now rather irritated, she felt no fear of danger. Krogan scientist…the term itself was ludicrous. Dr. Droyas was a farce if she'd ever seen one. No wonder they had begged for so long for her aid!

She pushed away from the scope in disgust. "Scrap them, the _whole_ A9 batch. You're going to have to start again on this lot. You've got nothing here but an expensive genetic pudding."

"I do not understand what could have gone wrong. We processed them along the same lines as the A8 batch."

Gellian turned in her chair, facing the irritated beast. "Then someone made a _mistake_. I'm guessing there was a mistake in the methyl transferase. I'm assuming the A8 batch actually _attained_ genetic cohesion?"

"We have six younglings in the development tubes right now."

"Six out of how _many_?" she asked dryly as she stood up, heading across the lab. Droyas's scowl deepened.

"Two hundred," he admitted reluctantly, following her. She snorted.

The younglings unconscious in the tubes were the size of children, just old enough to pick up their first rifle. She looked them over with a critical eye, before examining the tube readouts and the scrolling genetic report.

Checking over all six she huffed in irritation. "This one. This one. This one. And _this_ one…you may as well flush them now. Two of them have irreparable defects in their limbic systems, they'll be nothing but drooling vegetables. The other two you've successfully managed to destroy their thermal regulatory systems…they'd freeze to death in anything below 15c, and die of heat stroke in anything over 20c."

Droyas let out a bellow of fury, cracking a fist into the side of the first tank. Gellian didn't even blink. "_These_ two have potential. A8-11 is the strongest of the two. I suggest you focus on him."

"One youngling out of two hundred?" Droyas growled.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm _fixing_ your mess, not creating it. You. Will. Have. To. Start. _Over_. Show me your source material and your processes and I may be able to help you have 199 successes next batch instead of just one."

Droyas turned from her in a huff, barking at his assistants to get the research data and the source material from storage. Gellian shook her head, leaning on the tube holding the one strong youngling. "I should have gone to deal with the bugs," she grumbled.

* * *

><p>Williams was in the mess, talking with Alenko, when Shepard appeared up the lift from the engine bay. Still holding her uniform shirt in hand she closed her eyes momentarily and took a deep breath before she strode off the lift.<p>

"Gunnery Chief!"

Williams immediately snapped to attention, turning to face her. "Yes ma'am!"

Shepard pointed toward the door of her quarters, the only real 'office' she had aboard this ship and the only place with any real sort of privacy…unless she was going to drag Ash into the loo for a dressing down. She didn't miss the faint nervous glance Williams gave Alenko before saluting and heading that direction. Shepard followed, and as soon as the door slid shut, she flung her wadded up shirt at the wall with a furious slap of cloth.

"C-Commander?" Williams ventured, standing so stiffly it seemed an iron rod had been shoved up her backside. "I-"

Shepard's finger snapped toward her face, a point of warning. Williams said nothing further, only continued to stand, watching Shepard as the woman turned away a moment.

Facing the far wall, Shepard closed her eyes.

_One two three four five six seven eight nine ten._

Opening her eyes again she turned smoothly toward Ashley, standing at attention with her hands clasped behind her. "Forgive me, Chief," she said calmly. "I neglected to follow up on the conversation we were having in the mess hall the other day, before Therum. You expressed concerns to me I did not have the time to fully address. I would like to fully address them now."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Williams replied.

"If I remember correctly your concerns had to do with the aliens aboard the _Normandy_, and their access to vital systems in the ship."

"Yes, ma'am, and I have been considering what you said, regarding Wrex and Tali. You had very valid points. It is unlikely that the Council races are in the dark about any aspect of this ship and I don't believe that those two personally, or Garrus, would intentionally cause use harm or sabotage."

"Wrex, Tali, or Garrus…but not Dr. T'Soni?"

Williams lifted her brows faintly. "Dr. T'Soni is a separate concern, Commander. There is a lingering possibility that she was a plant, that her rescue was deliberately arranged by Saren to get a spy aboard, monitor our movements."

"Have you actually spoken longer than four seconds with the woman?" Shepard asked, folding her arms.

"Yes, Commander, though her heart hardly seemed in it," Williams said, then grudgingly admitted, "She seems very…open. At the very least, I don't think she lies very often. She'd probably be horrible at it. Be interesting to ask her about her sex life."

It was a joke, meant to lighten the mood. Unsuccessfully, she gathered, from the way Shepard's expression didn't so much as flicker.

"Chief, I do understand your concerns, and they are reasonable. However, I am not a big fan of scuttlebutt, and I should _not_ be hearing your concerns over T'Soni possibly being a spy from rumor on deck."

Williams paled faintly, straightening just a millimeter more. "Ma'am, my apologies. I just…I've been so used to working with small squads and patrols, I forgot how it is aboard ship."

"If I heard it chances are T'Soni heard it as well. She already feels out of place, and this mess with her mother…she doesn't need deck-side rumor making her feel worse."

"I am very sorry, Commander. That was never my intention."

Shepard inclined her head faintly in commiseration. "Understood. But your concerns regarding the non-human crew members seem more than just cautiousness. There's something deeper behind them."

Williams' own dark brown eyes shifted faintly. "I just think we need to be careful, ma'am," she said after a moment. "The other races will always only see themselves first. It's the nature of all higher biological beings, I think…see to your own first. The Council races are our allies now but if the shit hits the fan they're going to save their own asses, and throw anyone else they can between them and that shit-storm. I simply don't think it unreasonable that we…mankind, I mean, do the same. Look out for humanity first."

"And that changes what?" Shepard demanded. Williams blinked.

"Ma'am?"

"Say you're right. Say everyone's out for himself…speaking in the scope of sentient galactic species. Now we as humans enter the picture, and your answer to this is to do the same thing…which changes absolutely nothing. Doesn't change anyone's mind, does no one any good. No lesson learned. Someone's got to take the first step into something new. Someone's got to try something differently. I'm not saying you have to go out and marry a turian, Williams, but you are the only person whose choices you can affect. You can't change the asari, you can't change the turians, you can only change yourself. So you be the one to _choose_ that you are not only going to look out for yourself. You choose to look out for others as well, even if they don't return the favor."

The Chief's brows knit faintly. When Shepard spoke again she blinked in shock.

"I know who your grandfather is, Ash. General Williams of Shanxi. And no, it's not in your file, but such a famous name…didn't take any kind of digging at all to find out your relation. It brought your service record into a new light. I couldn't figure out how someone with such high accolades kept scoring such shit assignments, until I put that together."

Now Williams' eyes were angry, her jaw tense. "Is that why we've diverted to the Citadel, Commander? If you wish to transfer me to another assignment just let me know. I'll get my things and be off-"

"Are you kidding me?" Shepard snorted. "_Transfer_ you? I told Anderson when you first came aboard that I wanted ten of you, and that hasn't changed. You are a damn good soldier, Ash. The fools who stuck you on patrols and grunt-work are idiots. That's what I mean about changing things. They _chose_ to waste your talents because of something _someone else_ did…which, by the way, was the absolute _right_ call given the circumstances. Well, I've seen what _you_ can do, and it doesn't matter who your family is, what your name is, or what race you are. Prove to me you can do a job and I'll give you all the support in the world. You just make sure you return the favor. Don't be like the ones who judged you and your abilities based on something out of your control."

Williams was silent for a long while, making no motion save to blink a few times. Then she nodded slowly. "May I go, Commander?"

"Dismissed, Chief," Shepard replied. Turning, Ash stepped out, the door hissing shut softly behind her.

* * *

><p>"Come in."<p>

The call was soft, and tentative. As Ashley stepped in to the small med-lab that was doubling as T'Soni's quarters she could see the young asari seated at a computer console, her entire posture one of dejection. As she glanced around, it was clear she was surprised at her visitor.

"Chief Williams-"

"Off duty, call me Ash," she said. "We're docked at the Citadel. The Commander's given us forty-eight."

"Forty-eight?"

"Human term. On Earth days are twenty four hours long. The Citadel doesn't exactly keep Earth time so the math doesn't mesh, but we got two days groundside, light duty shifts, mostly resupplying. Bunch of us off-duty are heading into the station, looking for some drinks, music. Just wondered if you'd like to come."

"I…um…I-I shouldn't," Liara shook her head. "I don't want to impose and I'm afraid my lack of experience with your kind will lead me to…embarrassing situations."

"'Embarrassing situations' are what bars are all about," Williams grinned. "C'mon. You can't stay cooped up in this little room by yourself, and you won't _get_ any 'experience' with our kind unless you come out and _experience_. C'mon. Just for a bit. Drinks, conversation…get to know the crew."

"I…I appreciate the thought, but…"

"Hey, look…" Ashley moved over, leaning against the counter as she regarded T'Soni. "I…owe you an apology. I'm afraid I haven't been entirely fair to you since you came on board and if I've done or said anything to make you uncomfortable-"

"It…it is all right, Chief. I understand."

"You understanding doesn't make it right. I want to make it up to you. Besides, there's a whole goddamn galaxy out there you've been missing out on while hiding in your digs. Couple hours won't hurt, and might do you some good."

Liara's gaze drifted down a little, before she straightened her shoulders and lifted it again, nodding slightly but firmly. "You are right. I cannot remain cooped up, as you say. I will come along, for an hour or two. It would do me good to stretch my legs."

Williams grinned. "Good! Meet us at the airlock in ten minutes. Oh, and-" She pointed toward the computer screen that T'Soni had been perusing before Ashley had entered. "If you're trying to open the extended service record and not just the summary, you have to select the picture, not the name. Little quirk of Alliance records."

T'Soni blinked around at her screen, which had a small profile picture of Shepard in her uniform as well as her general statistics. She had indeed been trying to open a more complete version of the record, but had not been able to figure it out. She could feel her face heat a bit that Ashley had both seen and deduced what she was trying to do.

"Oh…th-thank you."

"No sweat," Williams grinned. "I looked up her records too when I first came on board. After Torfan, how can you not? Don't worry, anything classified will be flagged and ask for a password, so you won't get into anything you shouldn't see. Ten minutes, ok?"

"Ok, Chief. Thank you."

"Ash," Williams insisted, then turned and headed out.

Twenty minutes later Liara was already wondering what she'd gotten herself into. The Citadel itself did not bother her, but she felt out of place in the crowd of human marines that were trooping their way to the Wards and the lower districts. Besides Williams, Alenko and several other of the crew had formed an eagerly chatting knot that cut down the avenues, laughing and talking and chumming together. Liara drifted at their tail, a single timid little mouse among a pack of friendly cats.

Music of a kind she had never heard before filtered up a wide staircase, catching not only her attention but that of several of the marines. Drawn by the sound, they trooped down to find the entrance to a tavern. Dark and dingy for the Citadel, the main light seemed to be from red neon lining the ceiling and forming swirls along the walls. A battered sign at the door advertised that it served food and drink suitable for all species and that, combined with the music, was more than enough to draw the curious crowd inward. Liara found herself pulled in as well, caught in the enthusiastic tide that was Ashley Williams.

"This is what I'm talking about!" the human chief grinned as she gripped Liara's arm, steering her along with them expertly until they managed to secure an empty table.

"I…was unaware you had been talking," Liara called back, having to shout just to be heard above the driving beat. Ashley laughed.

"Sit. We're going to get drunk," she ordered, and began to wave at a harried waitress.

"Oh no, I…I just…just water please-" Liara tried to intervene, but Williams either hadn't heard or chose to ignore.

"Round of the house brew for the table," she told the waitress, and flipped a credit chit on the tray. Alenko and four of the others had taken up residence at the same table, and as Ashley reseated herself, Kaidan suddenly barked a surprised laugh.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!"

"What? What is it?" Ashley asked. The LT pointed toward the band huddled in the front of the bar, pounding out their loud music with an almost furious desperation.

"Does someone up there look familiar to you?" he asked.

All heads turned and peered through the haze.

The band was mostly human, save a single energetic volus who was playing the HI drum-set. Two of the others were human males, one with a guitar and one with some kind of horned instrument, both with HI interfaces. A woman with ragged blonde-gray hair had an old-fashioned synth at least ten years out of style.

The final figure was female, wearing a beaten black swagman hat. Some kind of animal tail hung from the brim and trailed down the back. A stogie was clamped tightly in her teeth as she concentrated on the strings of her antique guitar, hat bobbing in time with the rhythm.

"Shit, is that _Shepard_?" Ashley grinned. "I didn't know she played…_anything_."

"Whoo! Go Commander!" one of the younger marines hollered, snatching a mug off the approaching waitress's tray and holding it out toward the stage.

Ashley took another pair of mugs and planted one in front of Liara, who was looking wide-eyed toward the stage. As the asari looked back, she peered suspiciously into the cup.

"Drink," Ashley ordered. "Enjoy the music."

"This…I am unfamiliar with this music."

"This is rock and roll," Alenko said with a grin. "It's quite popular on Earth. Most bands outside the Blue Marble play sensory any more. It's nice to hear some good old fashioned rock."

"Drink!" Williams ordered again. Liara tentatively lifted the mug, and sipped. It was not unpleasant, and reassured, she took a deeper swallow, much to Ashley's delight.

"There you go! We're going to make a human being out of you yet."

* * *

><p>Shepard much preferred blues and jazz, but sometimes some good, heart-pounding rock was what the doctor called for. Though she'd never been to this particular club before, she had followed her nose the moment she stepped off-ship and as always, it had led her right to her favorite kind of place.<p>

The club wasn't nearly as dirty or dingy as those back in New York. Even the slimiest hole in the wall on the Citadel had a clean and sterilized feel about it, as if the dirt were only a costume it put on. Still, they let her smoke, drink, and play, so she'd take it.

Her cigar was nearly spent and she was more than ready for another drink when she noticed that a corner of the place seemed to have been commandeered by her own crew. As she noticed them, several lifted their mugs and hooted, cheering in her direction. Shaking her head with half a smirk she nodded to her new band-mates as the song finished, then quit the stage. Stashing her guitar, she headed up to the table, even further surprised to see Liara huddled among the mass of marines like a kid brought to a sports-game by their parents, unsure what to make of the noise and hullabaloo.

"Is this behavior fitting marines?" she demanded as she reached the table, plucking the butt of the stogie from her mouth and jamming it out on the small tray at the center. "In my day we'd never have a beer in hand if our Commander's hand was empty."

Instantly no less than four mugs lifted to her and she grinned, snatching one before lifting it to her forehead. "That's more like it. Cheers."

A roar of 'oorah!' lifted from the company and Shepard downed a swig, before blowing out a breath and setting the mug down. "Shit, this is water. I need me a good whiskey."

She signaled the waitress and then took a seat, plucking out another cigar.

"We didn't know you played guitar, Commander," Alenko grinned over at her.

"I told you once before, LT, the things you don't know about me could fill the universe. And just to point out, we're drinking and smoking in a goddamn bar. Take the stick out of your backside and call me Shepard."

As she lit the cigar she looked across the table at Liara, who was all but huddled beside Ashley, looking into her mug as if it held the meaning of life. Shepard snapped the lighter off, puffing out a cloud of smoke before taking the cigar from her lips.

"You all right Liara? For someone blue you look a little green."

"I am fine," she replied, all but forcing herself to straighten and meet Shepard's eyes. "I am simply…unused to these kinds of situations."

"Don't figure they have many bars in Prothean digs," Shepard smirked. "Ash, you the one that dragged her out here?"

"That's ten-four," Williams answered.

"You the one responsible for that water you're making her drink too?" she snorted, then looked up as the waitress delivered her whiskey. "Small bottle of pris para, two glasses."

"You got it."

Liara's eyes widened in surprise. "You are familiar with pris para, Commander?"

"_Shepard_," the human woman enunciated firmly. "I've encountered that delightful little libation a time or two again on stations off-world. Kind of got a taste for it. Doesn't beat a good whiskey but few things do."

"What is it?" Ashley asked as the waitress returned with the small bottle. The liquid inside looked green and yellow, faintly iridescent."

"It is a liqueur derived from the excretions of the paralali on Thessia," Liara told her. Alenko wrinkled his nose as Shepard popped open the bottle and filled the two little glasses.

"_Excretions_?" he asked.

"The paralali, my dear biotic friend," Shepard muttered around her stogie as she poured, "is a type of luminescent worm that lives in the sediment of Thessia's more tropical oceans. And 'excretions' is exactly what it sounds like."

"It's shiny worm shit?" Ashley was appalled and strangely fascinated at the same time.

"It is more a lubricate excretion extruded through the skin to protect it from sand particles," Liara corrected.

"So it's shiny worm _sweat_. That's better," Alenko chuckled.

"_Fermented_ shiny worm sweat," Shepard grinned, setting the bottle down and holding her stogie between two fingers. She pushed one glass toward Liara, who took it without hesitation, then shifted the other toward Alenko.

"Give it a try."

Hesitantly Alenko reached out and picked up the glass, tentatively sniffing at it. Shepard watched him with amusement, knowing that it had a pleasant, somewhat fruity smell to it. Raising his brows he took a tentative sip.

_Three, two, one_…

The small mouthful of pris para escaped the biotic's mouth at roughly mach-ten as Alenko made a sound somewhere between the hissing of a cat and a goat's death-rattle. He barely managed to set the glass down as he pawed desperately at his tongue, first with his fingers, then with a napkin he managed to snatch, making retching noises the whole time. Shepard was laughing so hard tears were filling her eyes, her laughter echoed by the other marines gathered at the table.

Finally, Alenko's groping hand found his beer and he drained half of it rinsing his mouth. "_Holy…?_" he gasped when he recovered his voice.

"Got a bit of a bite to it, doesn't it?" Shepard giggled.

"I think it bit my whole _tongue_ off!" he shot back.

She swirled her glass of pris para, making the fluid shift from green to yellow and back to green. "Try it Ash," she urged, eyes sparkling happily. "It's like sucking on a habanero that's been soaked in acid and topped with cherry juice."

"Yeah, no thank you," Ashley said, holding up her hands. "I'll stick with beer."

"Any other takers?" the commander asked, regarding the rest of the marines. Greeted by a mass of shaking heads she snorted with a smirk. "Bunch of babies."

Lifting her glass of pris para she held it out over the table toward Liara, who tentatively lifted her own in mirror. "To the only two with any balls at the entire table," she proposed. "Here's to us."

Both women tossed back the pris para, Shepard letting out a healthy sigh of pleasure as she slapped the empty glass back down. "Now _that_ is a _drink_."

* * *

><p>It was just past 0145 ship time as Shepard, Liara, and Alenko returned to the <em>Normandy<em>. Ashley had left their company some hours before, having pulled a fairly early shift the next morning and not wanting to tempt fate. To her surprise, Liara…initially so hesitant about going out to begin with…protested leaving and ended up staying behind with the dwindling group of marines.

Though she and Shepard had finished the entire bottle of pris para, she was not drunk, only lightly buzzed. Asari did not get drunk as easily as humans, it would seem.

Shepard was smoking one last cigar…quite literally, as Liara had seen the battered silver case was empty when the commander snapped it closed the last time. The smell, that golden afternoon smell with undertones of dark, loamy earth, reminded her of her earlier missteps with the woman.

Shepard had not seemed angry that evening, however. She had laughed quite a few times, an action that seemed to light up her face, make her whole being glow at times. She had been relaxed, happy…talked to Liara as if she were just like the others at the table, included her with actions like the pris para, and had slowly made the asari's self-consciousness and awkwardness melt away. Shepard's smile had been easy and often, and seemed to draw Liara's out with it.

"That item on your hat," she ventured as they waited in decom in the airlock. "It…is part of an animal, is it not?"

Shepard reached up and touched the length of fur now draped over her shoulder. "It's a tail," she explained. "Off a wolverine."

"These are…special animals amongst your culture?" Liara asked.

"If you're talking about humans as a whole…no. They're animals just like any other. Some cultures on Earth believe, however, that every living creature has a spirit, even animals. And that these spirits can come to us if we seek for them, choose to be our companions and guide us in our travels. The wolverine is my spirit guide."

"Really?" Alenko asked, intrigued. "I didn't know you had a spiritual side, Shepard. I've heard of animal guides, of course, but most people I've run into claim theirs is a wolf, or a bear, or something like that. Never heard of a wolverine."

"Most people who claim to have an animal guide don't know what they're talking about," Shepard snorted, blowing a stream of smoke toward the decom sensor, making it beep angrily and start the scan over again.

"How do you mean?"

"Most people think 'oh, I love this animal, it's so cool!' and think that's all it takes to be a spirit guide. Doesn't work that way. The guide chooses _you_, you don't choose them."

"And these…guides…they embody certain aspects about the people they choose?" Liara asked. The asari had once had something similar in their culture, and the conversation intrigued her.

Shepard nodded. "Wolverines teach balance, clarity, and focus."

"A peaceful animal then?" Liara smiled.

Alenko laughed. "Hardly. Wolverines are cunning, ferocious, tenacious little bastards that'll take your hand off as soon as look at you. They're survivors. Come to think of it, they're _exactly_ like Shepard."

"Keep talking, LT," Shepard grinned. "We'll find out just how much like a wolverine I am."

He chuckled faintly at her, hardly intimidated. The scan beeped and cleared them, and the inner airlock opened to allow them into the ship.

"Well, I'm heading to get some rack-time," Alenko said, bidding them good-night before heading off. The women replied in kind but as they reached the mess, and Shepard turned toward her quarters, Liara screwed up her courage.

"Shepard, if…I may talk with you a moment. I promise I shall try not to keep you long."

"Yeah, sure," Shepard said as her door opened, inclining her head. "C'mon in."

As Liara stepped in Shepard shed her hat, casting it on the desk before unslinging her guitar case and setting it down. She gestured at a chair. "Have a sit, Tianlán. What's on your mind?"

There was that name again.

"Why do you call me this?" she asked curiously. "Tianlán. You have addressed me as such several times since our meeting. It is lovely, but I am unaware of its meaning."

Shepard blinked, then shrugged a little. "It's Chinese, one of the dialects from Earth. It means 'sky blue'. That's just what I thought the first time I saw you…sky blue. If it bothers you I won't use it anymore."

"No, it is…it is fine. I have never had a friendship name like this before. It simply took me by surprise."

"We call them 'nicknames'," Shepard smiled. "But 'friendship name' works just as well. But…that's not why you wanted to talk to me."

"No, it is not," Liara replied nervously. "I…wanted to apologize, for upsetting you in our last conversation. As I have said I am not good with people, and my comment regarding what…what I _saw_ when I attempted to help with your visions was inappropriately timed. I was attempting to help you, to let you know that I understood, that you were not alone in your experiences."

"I doubt you've ordered dozens of men to their deaths," Shepard murmured, then waved a hand before Liara could speak. "You didn't upset me, Tianlán. I upset myself, I guess. Those memories were so…forceful and real and I suppose I had hoped that you hadn't seen that part. When you admitted that you _had..._well, it wasn't your fault, at any rate."

"I do not judge you for your experiences, Shepard," Liara said quietly. "In truth I am further amazed by the strength of spirit that you have. What you have been through…I saw only a slice, a slim piece but…I could not imagine living through such horrible things. I am concerned about you-"

"Like Dr. Chakwas," Shepard sighed in resignation. "Afraid I'm going to go all stab-stabby on the crew? Snap and turn into some kind of psycho?"

Liara blinked her large, blue eyes. "What? No…no, of course I am not. I am concerned about your _health_, Shepard. Your brain is in overdrive trying to process all this strange information, and somehow it has gotten tangled in traumatic experiences in such a way as to make it impossible to access one without the other. There is only so much any mind can handle, any computer, before it simply cannot function anymore."

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Shepard she had witnessed the momentary swoon outside the conference room the other day. But the threads of friendship and trust to her felt already so new and tenuous, she feared such an admittance would irrevocably snap them. And to be honest, it was not necessary to disclose she had seen what the commander would only perceive as a weakness.

"I was not of much help during the first meld but I am confident that I can be more effective with another attempt, now that I know what to expect," she continued. "I would like very much to try again as soon as possible. Strong as you are, I think if we do not do something, your mind will not survive this overload of data much longer."

"Oh." Shepard lifted her brows, sitting up a little. "Blunt and to the point."

"I am sorry, but I do not think we can afford to be anything but blunt in this. It is as serious as if you had a wound and were bleeding to death. You need aid, or soon you will be beyond it."

Liara smoothed a hand unconsciously over her tunic again, as if to sort out any wrinkles, aware of the weight of Shepard's gaze on her. After a breath of silence she admitted, "I _want_ to help you, Shepard. In thanks…for saving my life, and for trusting me. And…"

_Be quiet, young fool. Don't put your foot in your mouth again._

"And…just to be of some use," she amended lamely. "But, I do not think we should try tonight. We are both weary and have indulged in too much alcohol. I'm afraid to try again in this state would only completely exhaust me again and would do little to no good…it would likely even be dangerous."

"Tomorrow then. We won't be leaving the Citadel until evening shift at the earliest. We can try again tomorrow, after we've slept."

"Yes, tomorrow," Liara said. "I believe I shall be up for it then."

Shepard smiled and Liara felt her cheeks heat a little. "I…had better go. It is late and we both need our rest. Thank you, Shepard, for listening."

"Good night, Liara. Sleep well," Shepard replied with a slow nod. The asari rose and in moments Shepard sat there alone. Lifting a foot and then another, she shed her boots and cast them aside, before flopping back on the bed with an exasperated sigh.

* * *

><p>The soft, sweet illusion of the outdoors on a garden planet was pervasive as Shepard stepped off the transport. The beautiful marble floors and steps formed a frame around fountains and benches, as if the low anteroom of the Council chambers was some kind of park. Cherry trees filled the air with perfume, and occasionally the marble floor tiles were replaced by glass, showing small rock gardens artistically arranged below.<p>

Shepard, who had been in this anteroom now at least twice, barely looked as her gaze fixed to the pair of men speaking near the stairs. Even at this distance she recognized Anderson immediately. At first she thought the man with him was Hackett, but as she came closer she realized it was a different admiral, one she was not familiar with.

Both men paused in their conversation as they saw her coming, Anderson smiling happily. "Shepard! Glad you could make it."

"Well, according to the Council, I wasn't doing anything better anyway," Shepard said dryly, first saluting him and the Admiral, then shaking his hand.

"Goddamn politicians. I've been trying to make them listen for three days now," the stranger grumped, then offered his own hand. "Rear Admiral Kahoku. It's my pleasure, Commander."

She nodded to him as she shook his hand, Anderson speaking. "Kahoku is an old acquaintance of mine. Recently he lost contact with a patrol under his command."

"They were investigating an emergency signal in the Sparta system," Kahoku explained. "Shortly after they signaled they were going to land on Edolus, we lost contact. I sent in a search and rescue but almost immediately the Council declared the whole system off limits. I've been trying to talk to them ever since, to clear the search party but I've been stonewalled the entire way."

Shepard's look darkened. "Sounds like they're afraid the rescue team saw something they weren't supposed to," she said.

"We cannot break the Council's sanction, not without causing an intergalactic incident," Anderson said. "We're stuck going through channels to try and get permission."

"And they have us choking on their own red tape," Kahoku said acidly. "These are good men out there, good marines. We can't just abandon them."

"That's where you come in," Anderson looked at her intently. "Given your Spectre status you can freely enter the off-limits area without sparking incident, find out what happened to the team, and get them home if possible."

Shepard nodded. "I've got a light duty contingent aboard now. Everyone else is either out enjoying themselves or nursing hangovers. I can get the ship back in green by tonight and we'll head that way."

"I really appreciate this, Commander," Kahoku assured.

"No thanks, Admiral. Fighting men and women deserve to know someone's going to bring them home or someone's going to _try_, at least. What they don't deserve is to be ignored or forgotten."

"Have you found anything more on the Geth, or on Saren's plans?" Anderson wanted to know. Shepard scowled.

"No. Nothing but a bunch of wasted time drifting around the Verge thanks to a ghost repeater they planted to distract us. Your message this morning mentioned something about Noveria?"

"Unconfirmed rumors of geth-drop ships in the area, nothing more. Might be another ghost hunt but one report mentioned something about an asari matriarch. Not many know Benezia is involved. That could be a clue this may be legitimate."

"We'll head that way as soon as we've found the admiral's squad," Shepard nodded.

"Be careful there as well. Those corporate devils are all about the credits and their secrets."

"Thank you again, Shepard," Kahoku looked at her with genuine gratitude lining his face. "I'm going to continue trying to get the Council's attention but I'm not foreseeing it going very far. It's good to know that someone with their best interests at heart will be out there, looking out for them."

"I'll do all I can sir. I'd best be getting back, getting things ready for launch. I'll let you know the moment I find anything."

Saluting both men again she headed back toward the transports. If ever she needed another reason to hate politicians, hate the Council…she had it now. To let good, fighting men and women die or leave them stranded in order to hide whatever dirty little secret they were trying to hide…to leave their families wondering, never knowing what had happened to them…

…it was nothing but inexcusable.


	4. Chapter 4

Shepard was irritated. When she had woken to the message from Anderson asking her to meet this morning, she knew something she wasn't going to like was about to go down. Her gut, again…and the fact he had started the message with 'Del'. The returning ache in her head that was not all attributable to hangover was also not helping.

Kahoku's claim was enough to seal the deal as far as her mood was concerned. It was one thing for the Council to stonewall her, to all but laugh in her face rather than take her claims of Saren's activities seriously…but to leave good men and women for dead, to prevent any attempt at their rescue? That was beyond the pale. Shepard didn't give a good goddamn what the marines might have seen or stumbled across. Marines knew what confidentiality meant. It was part of the job, even if it wasn't always liked.

Being abandoned…_that_, no one deserved, civvie or military. Not even politicians, though right now Shepard would not have minded seeing the entire Council left alone on some cold rock somewhere long enough to re-evaluate their priorities.

_I wonder if they'd be so cavalier if it were asari or turians trapped out there._

As soon as she stepped aboard the _Normandy_ she put out the word to prepare for departure no later than 18:00, and sent out a wave of recalls. It would take that long to finish getting supplied and reassemble all the crew that were scattered over the entire Citadel by now, but she was already itching to leave.

When she finally got back downstairs the familiar dull, red throb of her head had grown teeth, promising a full-out migraine before long.

Pouring herself some coffee she actually stared at the door to the med-bay for several moments, debating talking with Chakwas about the pain. Only the certainty that the doctor would immediately insist the _Normandy_ be grounded and Shepard sent back to Earth for medical treatment prevented her.

_Who'd help those missing marines then? Who'd-_

"Commander?"

Startled, Shepard's head snapped around and she blinked stupidly at Liara, who was standing only a couple of feet away. The fact that the woman had been able to sneak up on her was alarming. Shepard had, even as a child, been hyper-vigilant…it had been a necessity, growing up. You did not survive the streets of New York long if you could be taken by surprise. Neither did you survive as a marine.

The asari doctor looked concerned. "Commander…if you have a free moment, I think we had best try the joining again now," she said urgently. "I have rested sufficiently."

"Oh. Sure, all right. In a little while. I have a few things I still want to square away first-"

"Commander, I do not believe it would be wise to wait," Liara pressed, her voice low so as not to be overheard. "To be blunt once again, you do not look well. Your color is pale, the skin around your eyes has darkened, and I have not known you long, but I do not believe it is easy to startle an Alliance marine, especially not when their name was said twice before reaching their side."

Shepard repeated her stupefied blink. Having the asari sneak up on her was one thing, but if she had actually said her _name_, and _still_ managed to startle her…

Silently, she nodded. Liara gestured toward the door of her room, then followed Shepard as she headed that way. Once the door was shut, Shepard set her coffee down on her desk.

"Please sit, Shepard. You are in pain?" Liara asked as the human woman sat down on the edge of the bed. The question was mostly rhetorical…it was clear however well she hid it that she was in a great deal of discomfort.

"Just a headache," Shepard admitted.

"Not when the Beacon is involved," Liara told her, moving over and sitting beside her on the bed. As she lifted her hands toward Shepard, the Commander smirked a little.

"I see you've gotten over being shy," she teased weakly. Liara's nose and cheeks darkened a little and she shook her head faintly.

"There is no time. Please relax, Commander. Look at my eyes."

Though touch was not necessary, Liara placed her hands gently on the human woman's shoulders. While she was much more rested, much more prepared, she didn't want to risk falling if she swooned again.

_Of course T'Soni. Of course _that's_ the reason. _

The color of her cheeks deepened again to a darker blue.

Shepard once again met those eyes, and as before it was as if she were seeing two realities simultaneously. She could see her room, of course, and Liara sitting there before her, but like a strange double-exposure, she could also see bright sunlight, smell the salt air, hear the comforting rumble of waves surging against sand.

_It is nature, Delilah. Calm, and chaotic. Peaceful, yet raging. The sea cares nothing for you. It makes no excuses, regrets no mistakes. It is what it is. You can scream at it, hit it, stab it, shoot it, and it will never change, it will never bend. Its memory lives forever. If you touch it, you will be a part of it for eternity, long after you are gone, because it won't forget. Decide what you want that memory to be…one of surrender, or one of triumph._

"Are you there, Shepard?" Liara asked. "Have you found that peace?"

"Yes," Shepard murmured in reply, and then at the next whisper of Liara's voice, found herself blown away from that shore once again, thrust into the chaos of memories that were not hers.

_Embrace eternity!_

Death. So much death, and pain. Over and over she felt the flesh boil and sear from her bones, felt the skin crack, fat bubble. Those around her melted away, collapsed screaming, torn apart like ash in a cyclone.

Horror from above. Inhuman shrieking. No solitude. No safety. Acid exploded from her mouth, eating away her tongue.

_Shepard!_

Reapers.

_Shepard! I am here! I am here, Shepard!_

There was a crash of cool water melting away the heat and the agony. Shepard floated downward through shifting tides of azure, shimmering with sunlight. Below she could see white sands, the colorful darting of fish amongst bright coral. Suspended in peace, she simply _was_.

Then she was sitting on the floor of the Room. The Woman was limp, silent. She had not moved in two days, though the young girl had no way of telling the time that had passed. Down here, there was not even the change of light to mark day from night.

She had never seen sunlight. She did not know what it was.

Getting to her feet, she walked over to the Woman. Eyes, glazed and fixed, dusty as marbles. Flies collected at the corners of her mouth, the edges of her nostrils. She smelled.

"She is dead," a voice spoke nearby. The child looked over to see the asari standing there, her aqueous blue eyes saddened.

"Yes," Shepard replied, an adult's mind within the body of a child. Then, idly she echoed the same thought she'd had on that same day, so long ago. "I'm hungry."

The asari drew near, knelt down. Her arms enveloped the child. "She is your mother?" she asked.

"She's _nothing_," Shepard answered. Her eyes moved over to the further corner, where the Man lay. His face was contorted, but he would not hit her again. "They are both _nothing_."

Reapers. They are coming.

She was in a forest once again, not herself, watching through alien eyes as the giant metal hands reached down from the heavens, spreading fingers sending fire and death.

They are coming. They are coming _again_.

"For God's sake, would you get _hold_ of her?"

Pain dug into her arm, thick fingers cutting in toward the bone. She shrieked in rage and desperation, kicking and pummeling. The Blue Shirt cussed again, cuffing her lightly over the head. As he did so, she lunged.

Teeth closed on flesh, blood filling her mouth in a cloying rush of copper. The cop bellowed, slammed her in the head again, much harder this time. Clenching her jaw as tightly as possibly she refused to let go, trickles of crimson spilling down her chin. The Blue Shirt slapped her again and again, trying to get her loose, before one of his compatriots managed to pry her teeth free. As soon as she'd let go, the Shirt she'd bitten looped a fist out. She saw a flash of white and collapsed backwards into the sea once more.

They are coming _again_.

"_Stop and hold at 38.5"_

Anderson's dark brown eyes narrowed as the image on the screen froze.

They are coming _again_.

A great metal hand reached down from the sky, frozen in time.

"Enough," Liara soothed. "Enough…find peace, Shepard. Find that place again."

But the ocean did not return. The warm sands, the golden sunlight, all swayed beyond her grasp. Instead, her room returned, dim and coldly real.

A weight sagged against her shoulder. Too distracted, too disoriented to move, Shepard merely lifted her arms, winding them around Liara, holding the woman upright, her forehead resting against her.

"Tianlán?"

"I am fine, I am just…_weary_," Liara whispered, and after a moment she lifted her head, wiping discreetly at her eyes. "The images were…"

"Yeah, I know," Shepard murmured sympathetically, lowering her arms.

"I…could not make much of it. I was able to ease the burden somewhat but the information is still confused, disjointed. I…believe there are gaps, that there was more information that should have been there but was simply missing. It may be that the Beacon itself was corrupted, or that its destruction occurred before it was able to impart all of its information. I am…sorry, I was not much help-"

"Not much help?" Shepard smirked. "My head feels like it's in one piece again, like I can think. I would have paid a year's credits for that."

"Even so, I feel I have done little but buy you some time. The pain and the nightmares will return and continue, unless we can fully address and interpret the alien information. Unfortunately, I feel it may be beyond my scope of ability. I am…well, I am only one hundred and six, and I have spent a good deal of my life in solitude, immersed in the past. I have little experience in things like this."

"I don't think there's much of anyone out there who has experience in things like this," Shepard pointed out.

"True. This situation is quite…_unique_. However an older asari with greater mental discipline might serve better. It is worth a try."

Shepard's brows knit, and then she shook her head warily. "No, I don't think so."

"Shepard, please, hear me out," Liara said, unconsciously reaching out and grasping the human woman's hand. "I know that this has been difficult. It is not easy for you to witness these events, nor to revisit these…_entangled_ memories. It would not be easy for anyone. And I know that the fact that I have seen these memories as well is a source of concern. I know that I would…feel discomfited if someone else were to witness my most unpleasant experiences so intimately. To think of bringing in yet another witness-well. It goes without saying. But I know that I am out of my depth, Shepard. My help is a mere field-dressing for a serious injury…you need a medic, a surgeon."

Looking down to formulate her thoughts she realized she was holding Shepard's hand, and felt her cheeks heat again. As casually as she was able, she released it. "There is an asari that may be able to help us. I know of her by reputation, though I have not met her. Her name is Sha'ira. She is referred to as the Consort on the Citadel. Her very position requires the strictest of confidences to be kept. I doubt even the Shadow Broker could manage to steal the secrets she is privy to."

"I don't know. I have duties to attend to, we're leaving in a few hours, and-"

Steeling her courage Liara cleared her throat. "And this crew will doubtless be put into one danger or another. They need their Commander at her best. Shepard, I saw you outside of the conference room, when I first came aboard. Can you truly risk another such incident at a moment when the lives of those who depend on you may be in the balance?"

Though she fully expected the human soldier to curse at her, scream at her or strike her even, Liara sat with her chin upraised, hands clasped in her lap…more to hide their trembling than anything else.

"You saw that," Shepard said in a low voice, her eyes narrowed and sparking dangerously.

Liara did not nod, nor reply in the affirmative, but her eyes said it all. Shepard rose, scrubbing a hand over the back of her neck, planting the other one on her hip. Even without such a posture, Liara would easily have been able to guess her mood.

Then the hand on her neck dropped and Shepard spoke without turning.

"I'm _not_ a weak person," she stated.

"Of course you are not," Liara murmured. "It is not weakness to trust someone, Shepard. It is not weakness to need help now and again."

Shepard said nothing, only stared at the wall, both hands now planted on her hips, head slightly lowered.

Inclining her head Liara said, "I know how hard you have fought, Shepard, to get to where you are. A soldier, decorated, accomplished. The first human Spectre. A leader, respected and skilled. What you have come through-"

"Those damn _visions_," Shepard grumped. "That was just me surviving."

"Yes, and sometimes the greatest strengths we have is just in the surviving, but that was not what I was talking about. It…is not just the visions, Shepard. I…read your file."

Shepard turned just enough to look at her, brows uplifted. "You read my file?" she asked, sounding slightly amused.

Liara felt the blood come to her cheeks again, and picked idly at the cover on the bed, looking downward. "After our first conversation, after what a fool I made of myself I…well, I wanted to know more about you," she admitted in a barely audible murmur. "Learn what made you into the woman you are. You are so bold, so confident with yourself and I…well, I am not bold, no leader."

"You didn't have to poke around in my service record," Shepard told her. "You could have just asked."

"I was a bit tired of the taste of my own foot," Liara replied honestly, then met her eyes. "Please, Shepard. Everything you are, everything that you have accomplished…all you have come through…do not lose it now because of pride. Come with me to see the Consort. Please. I…do not want anything to happen to you."

Shepard looked away again, making a low sound that was halfway between a growl and a huff of impatience, once more scrubbing her fingers over the back of her neck.

Then her shoulders sagged, and she nodded. "All right. I'll get Pressley to finish up arrangements here. This damned Consort really _had_ better be able to keep her mouth shut, though. Udina'd have a field day if his brand new 'first human Spectre' has her past plastered all over the tabloids from here to the galactic core."

Liara blew out a breath of relief, clasping her hands momentarily under her chin. Though she herself was weary from the meld, she didn't dare even suggest a delay. Shepard may change her mind at any moment.

"Thank you, Shepard. I will be prepared to leave in just a few minutes."

She rose and hurried out. Shepard blew out a breath again as the door closed. "Damn," she stated matter-of-factly to the empty room.

* * *

><p>Liara started to suspect this hadn't been a good idea from the moment they arrived at the door to the Consort's suites. The young asari maiden stationed there had a bright enough grin, but the first words out of her mouth made Liara's stomach sink.<p>

"Good morning," she cooed happily. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Appointment?" Shepard asked. "Didn't know that you had too."

"Yes, I'm sorry," the receptionist stated, not nearly sounding sorry in the slightest. "Sha'ira is an extremely busy woman as you might expect. We can only take clients on an appointment basis. However, we are more than happy to accommodate you…our next available opening is in…"

She checked the pad in front of her, then beamed brightly once again. "Six months."

"Six…_months_?" Liara nearly choked. She wanted to cry. She'd never get Shepard down here again, that she knew…and in six months it would all be pointless anyway. Shepard would be either dead or insane by then, and either way out of need of the Consort's services.

"It is quite a brief waiting period." The receptionist seemed to think that this was remarkably good news. "Many of our regular clients have to wait over a year."

"Uh, _yeah,_" Shepard shook her head. "_That's_ not going to work. Thanks anyway."

As she started to turn away Liara caught her arm. "Shepard, please…perhaps if we make her understand this is an emergency-"

"Yes?" the receptionist said, interrupting Liara and drawing their attention. She was talking into a tiny hovering microphone attached to an ear-piece that was barely visible. Her brows lifted in surprise, before she looked upward. "Yes, of course."

Dropping her hand she gestured. "Commander Shepard, my apologies. Sha'ira would like to see you immediately."

"She…_really_?" Shepard blinked.

"Indeed. You and your companion both. Please, right this way."

That smile returned as she stepped aside and gestured. Liara couldn't afford to second guess providence. Grasping Shepard's arm lightly she quickly steered her after the receptionist.

The downstairs suite was plush, with both visitors and employees scattered about. The receptionist did not allow them to pause, however, ushering them toward a set of stairs and upwards. A door slid open at their approach, baring a luxuriously appointed apartment. As they stepped within, an asari woman turned from a nearby window. She was dressed in a white gown which clung to her scandalously, shimmering faintly like scales on some tropical fish.

"Mistress," the receptionist inclined her head respectfully. "Commander Shepard and…_companion_."

"Thank you. Leave us."

Just that swiftly the receptionist was gone, the door sliding shut silently behind her.

"Commander Delilah Shepard," Sha'ira murmured seductively, moving slowly across the room. Her eyes shifted from human woman to the young asari at her side, and she smiled faintly. "And the good Dr. Liara T'Soni. Welcome."

"How do you know us?" Shepard asked suspiciously.

"The first human Spectre?" Sha'ira asked, surprised. "There is very little that happens on this station I do not know, Commander…something as significant as that would certainly not pass me by. As for your companion, I know of Dr. T'Soni by reputation. She is…a momentary part of your crew, is she not?"

Shepard said nothing, only watched the woman with dark, unreadable eyes. Liara nervously glanced from one to the other. "Mistress," she at last ventured. "We have some…hope, that you will be able to help the Commander?"

"Oh? Are you _ill_, Delilah?" Sha'ira asked coyly. Shepard's gaze narrowed slightly.

"Don't call me that."

"My apologies, I did not mean to offend," she responded airily. Having stopped only a few steps away from the pair, she now suddenly stepped forward, lifting a hand and drifting her fingers over Shepard's cheek, the touch barely a brush, as she did so, her eyes slid over to Liara and a slightly devious smile appeared on her lips when Liara faintly scowled. "Forgive me?"

"Perhaps you were right, Shepard," Liara said. "Perhaps this was not a good idea."

"Now now, you've come all this way, and you have a matter of grave importance to discuss," Sha'ira said, stepping back and gesturing at a nearby low sofa. "Please, I am here to help."

Shepard made no move toward the sofa. "How did you know we were coming?"

"I did not," Sha'ira responded. "I happened to be monitoring the feed for the front door and recognized you as you were speaking with my receptionist. I was curious to speak with the first human Spectre but I can see something of immense concern rests on your mind, and that of your young…_friend_. I am intrigued to know more."

Shepard's jaw tensed, then relaxed. "And everything we say…everything you might _see_…it is all confidential?"

"_See_? What an interesting choice of words," Sha'ira smiled. "Commander, I have a reputation of over half a millennia to maintain. I have never broken a confidence and would never, not even under the most egregious of tortures. Whatever you and your companion might reveal to me in this room…whatever might be 'seen' as you put it, or…_participated_ in…rest assured it will never leave the confines of this room. Of that you can be quite certain."

Looking at Sha'ira quite intently for a moment, Shepard finally stepped forward and went to the sofa, Liara an uncertain pace behind. As soon as the commander sat down, Liara seated herself beside her before Sha'ira was able to. Smiling faintly, Sha'ira instead opted to sit on a nearby chair, facing the pair. The skirt of her gown split in such a way that as she did so, crossing her legs, they were revealed almost to her hip.

Liara could not help a faint scowl again, and cast her glance toward the floor once more long enough to compose herself.

It did not take long to share the story about the Prothean Beacon and Shepard's unfortunate condition as a result. Partway through the tale Sha'ira leaned forward enough not only to access a cut-crystal liquor service and pour the three of them a drink, but to give a rather unabashed view of her assets in the process.

Liara struggled not to frown again, focusing instead on her drink…which she suddenly desperately needed.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with your friend," Sha'ira said at last, looking at Shepard. "You are most certainly in need of aide. She was right to suggest my services. I cannot cure you, of course, but I should be able to help you significantly…to lay the foundation work necessary so that Dr. T'Soni will have more success in her own attempts to keep your mind stabilized. But I must ask that you have complete honesty with her. I understand the need to create an unshakable front before your crew and those you command, however such pride in this case will only lead to your downfall. These mild headaches you have described, they are the warning that your mind is exhausting itself. When you feel these, it is imperative that you seek T'Soni's aide as soon as possible, to restore balance. You cannot hide these from her, cannot dismiss them from yourself, or no help I provide will be of any use."

"This isn't going to last forever, is it? I mean, eventually my brain will sort all this out and be fine again, right?"

"Ideally, of course," Sha'ira responded. "However if the supposition that the information you are trying to sort is incomplete is correct, it may take a couple of hundred years or more for the process to right itself, unless the missing information is discovered."

"Humans don't live that long," Shepard snorted. Sha'ira's gaze never wavered.

"Precisely," she stated, then set her drink aside. "As it is, we might as well proceed. That is, if you are agreeable, Commander?"

Shepard glanced at Liara, who did her best to give an encouraging nod…a nod which she no longer truly felt.

_Stop being so absurd! This is Shepard's life we are talking about, her sanity. This is to help her_.

Wiping her palms on her knees, Shepard rose and nodded. "All right. Let's give it a shot."

As Sha'ira also rose, Liara did her best not to shrink back, once again clasping her hands together firmly to halt their nervous motion. Unabashedly, the Consort stepped toe to toe with the human woman. For a moment it nearly seemed she intended to embrace her about the waist before she simply slid her fingers along Shepard's forearms and then clasped her hands.

Liara, who knew full well physical contact was not needed for this type of joining, fought not to scowl once again, especially when Sha'ira's eyes flicked momentarily to hers again, that faint little smile appearing.

_She's doing it on purpose, trying to upset me. _

"Relax, Commander," Sha'ira murmured in a low, simmering voice. "No distractions. Find peace within yourself, within the galaxy. You are all, and you are nothing. You are one with all that exists, and are the potential of all that may be. Embrace who you were, and who you are. _Embrace eternity_."

Silence fell. After a moment Liara rose and paced a few steps away, regarding the two women. Sha'ira's eyes had gone black with the joining, of course. Shepard's own eyes lacked the biological ability to transform so completely, but her pupils had fully opened, swallowing all traces of chocolate brown.

Unable to remain still, Liara picked up her drink and paced a bit, sipping at it before setting it down again. Time seemed to crawl by, and neither woman moved save to breathe.

Folding her arms she rubbed her hand on her shoulder and paced a bit more.

_The hand-holding is_ not _necessary_.

_Perhaps she fears as you do…that when she emerges from the meld that she will swoon._

_She is far older than I, more experienced. Better rested, no doubt. She won't swoon and she_ knows _that she won't swoon. _

_What does it matter, anyway? The hand-holding is not necessary but it is harmless. Besides, Shepard did not seem to mind._

_Sha'ira treated me like a child the moment I came in the door. She teases me like you would a child._

_You_ are _a child, Liara. _

_I am not a child! I am a grown woman._

_Even Shepard looks on you like you are a child. Tianlán. That's what she calls you. But is it a friendship name, given out of respect…or is it like Little Wing, a pet name given by an adult to a child? To one they view as immature?_

_Stop it! Listen to yourself. You are over-thinking this to an alarming degree. What does it matter? You have been living and studying on your own longer than Shepard has even been alive. She has shown you nothing but respect since you met. You are being silly again, letting your imagination get away with you. Shepard-_

Her silent argument with herself was interrupted as the two still women suddenly moved again. Sha'ira's hands dropped from the commander's and she took a step back, touching her thumb and index finger momentarily to her forehead as if trying to center herself. Shepard covered her eyes, managed a single step backward, and then sat down rather abruptly on the sofa which, fortunately, was close enough at hand.

"Shepard?"

Liara rushed over as Sha'ira waved a hand lightly. "She is all right," she said. Liara glared at her a moment, then sat down at Shepard's side, touching her shoulder with concern. "Shepard?"

"I'm ok," Shepard replied, dropping her hand. "It was just…kind of intense, is all. I was disoriented a bit. I feel better than I have since that damned Beacon hit me in the first place."

"You were correct in your assessment, Dr. T'Soni," Sha'ira stated, reseating herself in her chair calmly. "There is missing information…quite a lot of it. It's much like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces gone, and no picture of reference. I have done all that I can, but she will continue to need your aide from time to time, and however impossible it seems I suggest trying to discover an alternate source of this same information if you can. Otherwise this problem will continue to plague her, most likely for the rest of her life."

"Finding another Beacon would be rare enough," Shepard said dryly. "Finding one that just happens to contain _exactly_ what the first one did, and intact? Yeah, I get the feeling I'm going to be taking this to my grave."

"Pessimism serves no one, Commander," Sha'ira told her. "If nothing else, I have learned through my many centuries that it is rare to be put upon a path where an end cannot be sought in one fashion or another. Regardless, you are on this path now. Cursing the rocks upon it will not make the footing softer, but admiring the view may make you forget them."

"Very poetic," Liara said impatiently.

"Well, thank you for your time, and your help," Shepard said. "I certainly feel far more focused. And…your discretion…?"

Sha'ira's eyes held a fair amount of sympathy, well-schooled as it was. "Is _assured_," she insisted. "Do not worry, Commander. This is in no offense to you, however your memories are not ones I wish to dwell on, let alone indiscriminately share with others."

"Yeah, well…thanks. We should be going…there is much to do and the _Normandy_ is leaving in just a few hours."

As she stood up the Consort abruptly did the same, stepping over to her and taking her arm. "Just one moment," she murmured, and drew her just far enough away from Liara to lean forward and whisper in the commander's ear. Liara straightened but fought not to fold her arms or show any trace of expression on her face. After a long moment, Sha'ira straightened again. Shepard had a strange look on her face as she scratched at the back of her neck and nodded, then extended her hand. "Thank you."

Sha'ira smiled and nodded, taking the hand and clasping it a moment before releasing it. Then she looked at Liara.

"Dr. T'Soni, if you wouldn't mind, may I have a moment of your time in private? Commander Shepard, you a free to wait downstairs if you would like."

Liara blinked in confusion, then straightened. "If…of course, if you would like," she said neutrally. Shepard jabbed her thumb toward the door and nodded, before turning and striding out. As the door slid shut behind her, Sha'ira smiled and sat down, plucking up her glass.

"You may as well get it out," the Consort said lightly.

"I do not know what you mean," Liara said tensely.

"Of _course_ you do, little one. You are quite literally glowing with anger."

Liara looked down at her arms, which were in fact shimmering slightly with her biotic energy. Gritting her teeth she clamped down on it, and the glow faded.

"I have nothing to say," she insisted.

"Very well, _I_ shall say it instead then." The Consort took a swallow of her drink, then set it down. "Jealousy does not become you little one, and you hide it poorly. I could not help but tease you a little, though I do apologize for that."

"I am _not_ jealous," Liara gasped. "And I am not a child!"

"Oh? Perhaps it is my mistake then." Sha'ira stood up and looked at Liara intently, and not without a measure of sympathy. "Liara, you are not a child but you _are_ young, and inexperienced in much regarding this galaxy. I asked Shepard up here out of pure curiosity, but what I have seen…and what I know you have seen…well. She is stubborn and strong. All humans seem to carry a spark, a flame within them but hers has become a raging fire out of experience, out of necessity. More…she is vulnerable, hurt deep within and she needs you. She has the charisma, the confidence, the draw of a leader that inspires others to follow. It is only natural that you would feel that draw, be inspired by that flame."

"Please, get to your point," Liara said.

"Liara, young as you are, you have eons of time ahead of you in this life…Goddess willing. You will have a very long time to live with regret, and it becomes a weary companion. I ask you only to remember this. So long as you might live…humans do not live _nearly_ as long. Be certain you do not find out just how lengthy that travelled road is, with _regret_ as your only steadfast friend."

Liara's brows knit, her gaze drifting thoughtfully to the floor. She looked up again as Sha'ira's soft touch drifted over her chin, urging her to lift her head. The Consort then lowered her hand, a sadness coming into her face before she stepped back. "Sorrow comes to us all, doctor…in heavy measure or in light, its only truth is inevitability. I see much sorrow shadowing your path. Do not add more to it than is needed."

Turning she strode over to the window again, the artificial sunlight of the station making her dress glitter. "Now, I apologize but I have a client due soon. You know the way out. Good afternoon."

Shepard was waiting downstairs, arms folded as she leaned against a wall. When Liara appeared on the stairs she straightened, and wordlessly the two left the suites, heading back toward the dock and the _Normandy_.

"What did she say to you?" Shepard asked as soon as they were out of sight of the receptionist, who had bid them an overly cheerful good afternoon.

"Oh, something about how my path is sorrowful," she glossed over. "And you? What…did she say to you?"

A snort and half a smirk. "Not really sure. She called it a 'gift of words'. Sounded like more poetic hooey. Something about how what I was is not what I will become, it only laid the foundation…something about a fire. I don't know."

"Oh. But…the joining itself, that was a success? How are you feeling?"

"Hell of a lot better than I was before," she said. "My head feels human again. And I think I put something together, something I was missing in the chaos."

"Oh? What is that?"

"Easier to show you. Soon as we're back on the ship," she told her.

"All right. Well…I am glad she was a help."

Shepard grunted with a nod. "Though truth be told, I'm glad I won't have to do that _again_. As much as it was a good idea to have done it, I definitely prefer it when _you_ help me."

"Really?" Liara blinked, taken aback.

"Sure," Shepard shrugged, not pausing in her stride. "For one you're a lot less goddamn clinical. She was just kind of _there_, you know? Watching everything like some foreman on a factory floor. And I didn't see the ocean, not once. Not even at the start, when she asked me to center myself. Just saw an empty room."

"That is…_huh_." For once, words had utterly failed her. In these types of joinings, it was not the Guide that set the scenes of peace…it was the one being Guided. Shepard's experiences of the ocean and the beach were her own unconscious choice, the place her mind sought instinctively for serenity, a safe haven in the storm. That scenery should not change simply because the Guide had. That she saw only an empty room with Sha'ira was…unusual, and somewhat baffling.

As they returned to the _Normandy_, Shepard spoke briefly with Pressley and then headed over to Joker. "Hey, do me a favor. Spin up the vid of the Eden Prime emergency hail and queue it in the conference room."

"Sure, Commander…recreational viewing? I figured you more for…you know, slasher flicks or something."

"Just do it, smart ass. Before I have you do laps."

"Ooh, _testy_," Joker snorted as Shepard ushered Liara down toward the conference room.

"I'm curious to see if you make the same conclusion I do," she told the asari. "I remember flashes of these images, impressions… and if I'm right…"

As they neared the room Shepard spotted Williams and then Alenko as they crossed the CIC, pointing at each in turn and gesturing at them to follow her.

"What's up, Commander?" Ash asked as Shepard reached the conference room console and began accessing the vid feed.

"I have a little insight regarding those goddamn Beacon visions," Shepard told her as the vid appeared on screen. She began to spool it forward, squinting her eyes as she watched. Ashley exchanged a tense look with Alenko. She had not seen this…not from _this_ side, at least. It was filmed by her squad and it was their deaths replaying in swift motion in front of her eyes. Steeling herself, she simply watched until Shepard suddenly froze the playback with a single stab of her finger.

"What does that look like to you?" she asked. The two marines were confused, but Liara gasped, covering her mouth.

"It's…that big ship," Alenko said at last, afraid he was missing something. "The one we saw launching away just before we discovered Nihlus."

"Yeah, but what does it _look_ like?" Shepard asked sternly.

Williams shrugged, tilting her head and squinting. "Kind of…like a big metal hand, I guess…reaching down."

"It is the same 'hand' from your vision," Liara said softly, agreeing. "They went by so fast, just flashes but…the great hands reaching from the sky, sending fire from their fingers…"

"Not hands, but _ships_," Shepard said. "Hundreds, perhaps thousands of them. Ships like this one…_exactly_ like this one. This isn't geth make. Saren's got himself a goddamn Reaper _ship_."

"He must have found it drifting or…or crash-landed somewhere," Alenko said. "Somewhere remote, unexplored-"

"Or else the geth did," Williams nodded. "That thing's gotta be thousands of years old. Maybe millions."

"Probably dead crew aboard. Maybe that's what sparked this whole 'bring the Reapers back' vendetta to begin with."

"Well, we can speculate on that till we're blue in the face…uh, no offense Liara," Shepard amended as the asari blinked at her. "But it proves that the Reapers _were_ real…and they were around at the same time the Protheans vanished."

"We should tell the Council-" Alenko ventured. Shepard blinked at him.

"Are you fucking daft? They'll insist it is geth technology, that they built the ship to mirror Reaper tech from legend or something. Or they'll just say I made it up, waving the 'vision' flag again. What I wouldn't give for five minutes with Councilor Tevos. Quick meld with her, slap her in the face with these pictures in my head, and we'll see just how flippant and dismissive she is then."

"She is extremely unlikely to agree," Liara stated.

"That is an understatement," Shepard blew out a breath. "Well, there's not much we can do now but what we're doing. Ash, I want you to see if you can find any information on where a ship this big might have been found…any rumors of crashes or digs or USOs, especially in remote areas. Most likely outside of Council space. Go back ten years if you have to. LT, keep in the recalls. We're leaving at 1800 whether or not every bit of boot-leather has returned to the deck. Make it _clear_. Liara, I want you to go down and rest."

"I am fine, Commander. I-"

"There is no reason for you to push yourself any further right now. Rack it while you can. I mean it."

"Y-yes, Commander. All right."

Shepard looked back up at the frozen vid, then jabbed her finger angrily at the interface, switching it off.

* * *

><p>The wind was a groaning agony just over the cracked rock walls of the canyon. Every few moments it would rush its way through the narrow fissure with a blast like a train, rocking the MAKO with the force of its fury, before it sailed away again.<p>

Sand and rock shifting over the windscreen made using it almost impossible. Alenko squinted instead at the infrared and 3D sono-display to navigate the heavily armored vehicle through the winding canyon.

"Wind is dying down a little," Shepard reported, one eye on the Doppler HI.

"Thank God for that," Williams joked from the rear seat, then gestured at her companion. "I think T'Soni is getting sea-sick."

Shepard turned to look back at Liara, who did indeed look a little bit queasy. "You ok?"

"I am fine, Commander," she replied. "Contrary to Ashley's belief, asari cannot get 'sea-sick'. It is not the rocking motion of the wind that is bothering me. To be honest, it is Alenko's driving that turns my stomach."

"My _driving_?" Kaidan blurted out. "What are you talking-" Then he blinked in shock. "You're joking? Liara, was that actually a _joke_?"

Liara smiled, then half-bashfully ducked her head. "Perhaps not a good one. But I am trying to learn."

"Yeah, well, practice on Williams a bit, would you?" he teased back good-naturedly. "She could use a good old-fashioned ribbing. I know, ask if she wants to surrender to you."

"_What_?" Williams blurted, then leaned forward and slammed her hand against Alenko's shoulder. "You _ass_!"

Shepard chuckled, shaking her head. "All right, cut it out. Wind's down to thirty knots and I'm showing the source of the emergency signal less than five hundred yards away."

They had finally entered the solar system only two hours before, immediately warned away by the Council's sanctions which Shepard completely ignored, directing Joker to orbit Edolus. It did not take them long to find the emergency signal that had hailed Kahoku's patrol, still transmitting…not a promising sign. The marines would have switched it off had they reached it.

Unfortunately it was transmitting from a location with no viable landing zone large enough to accommodate the _Normandy_, or safe enough to even attempt given the surface winds. They'd ended up dropping the MAKO to drive in to the location, leaving the Normandy to retreat to a higher vantage and monitor.

Shepard, personally, hadn't been too thrilled when Liara had asked to go along. The woman was a biotic, it was true…but she was also a doctor, an archaeologist…hardly a soldier. And who knew what kind of danger they were about to walk into?

The woman, however, had been adamant, and oddly enough both Williams and Alenko backed her up. Shepard had finally let her impatience get the best of her and allowed Liara to come…she didn't want to waste any more time arguing over it.

_So much for being the goddamn Commander_, she thought as she pinpointed the coordinates. The jagged canyon they had been trundling down was widening, the high rock walls lowering and rounding more with erosion before it abruptly opened into a small, dusty valley.

"There. That's the emergency transmitter," Shepard said, pointing. Through the swirling wind they could see the small metal spike only a few dozen yards away now, red activation light flashing insistently at its tip. "And that's a drop-vehicle next to it."

"No sign of any life," Alenko squinted. "I don't see a single marine and given the layer of dust on that vehicle it hasn't moved in days…probably not since they first landed."

"Move us in slowly," Shepard said. "No rush."

"Commander, this feels hinky as shit," Ash murmured.

Shepard nodded, then gestured upward. "Get in the turret. Just in case."

Williams abandoned her seat, reaching up and grasping hold of a pair of rungs. Pulling herself up into a seat just over their heads, she powered on the MAKOs small turret.

"Green, boss," she reported.

The MAKO slowly edged forward, the light from the transmitter flashing, implacably determined.

Suddenly Alenko's eyes fell to the infrared and he cussed, instantly gunning the engine and yanking the wheel. Barely had he done so then the ground seemed to lurch up, tossing the vehicle into the air before slamming it back on its side.

Immediately they were rolling, Liara giving a little yelp of alarm. Held in place by their safety straps they were only slightly rattled by the impact. The MAKO, purposefully designed to make it nearly impossible for it to be in any position but upright, continued its tumble until it slammed back to all four wheels. Alenko gunned it in reverse, spitting dirt as he quickly backed away from the huge, rising reptilian head.

"It's a goddamn thresher nest!" Shepard growled. Alenko needed no urging, continuing to back away as fast as the MAKO would move, knowing the worst place to be in relation to a thresher maw was in strike range of its jaws…and from the look of this one, it was big enough to swallow the MAKO whole if it got hold of it.

Dirt and rock cascaded down as the beast lifted higher into the air. Enormous reptilians, thresher maws were one of the top predators the known galaxy had to offer. Shepard had seen vids of them, few humans having encountered them in person, and she had always been struck by the similarity between them and the legends of dragons from ancient Earth.

Beyond being absolutely huge and unexpectedly fast, maws were covered in thick armor-plated scales that bore razor-sharp edgings. Every inch of it was scaled except its inner throat and its eyes, the only two vulnerable spots on its body. The edges of the scales were sharp enough to cut through even top of the line military armor and some primitive species gathered them from the remains of dead maws to make blades for weapons.

That apparently not being enough to overcome, maws could spit not necessarily fire, but rather a viscous, highly acidic fluid that would eat through the MAKOs shielding and blast plating in no time.

As Alenko continued to reverse, the maw bellowed and tried to orient on this annoying little creature that had woken it. The sheer size of it took Shepard's breath away, and it was now between them and the only way out of the small valley.

She had a sneaking suspicion what had happened to the missing marines.

There was a deep, hollow boom as Ashley fired the turret at the beast. The shot, large enough to take out a tank or a platoon of foot-soldiers in full armor, barely scratched the animal. Shrieking again, it oriented on the MAKO and struck.

Teeth scraped over the hood and for a moment, Shepard could actually see straight down the thing's throat. Alenko kept his foot planted, however, and the MAKO slid backward out of its mouth before its jaws could gain purchase. The moment it was clear Ash let off another shot, right into the beast's face. At a slightly different angle she could have done it serious damage. As it was, the shot bounced off the maw's forehead, not leaving so much as a streak of soot behind it.

"Go west!" Shepard barked in Alenko's ear, then shouted up at Williams. "Keep hitting it. Don't let up!"

Alenko slammed the MAKO into drive and yanked the wheel, turning them west along the rim of the rock-wall. "Keep circling it, foot to the ground!"

Her restraints hissed as Shepard snapped the release, snatching hold of her helmet and hauling it on. Moving between the two back seats she craned her head up and called to Williams. "I want that gun firing on that maw until it won't shoot any more. No matter what happens you keep hitting it! Keep its attention!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Shepard grabbed hold of the handle near the loading door on the side of the MAKO and with swift jabs of her glove, punched in the release code. Liara's eyes went wide.

"Where are you _going_?" she gasped as the door came open, immediately filling the small space with blowing wind and gritty dust. Shepard looked back at the asari through the visor of the helmet, meeting her eyes a moment before she turned and hit the door close with the same motion she leapt from the vehicle.

In a breath she was gone, tumbling away in the dust, the door slowly shutting behind her. Liara cried out, fumbling wildly for her restraint before managing to loosen it, and lunging for the door.

"Is she fucking _crazy_?" Ashley shouted from the turret. Alenko was trying to keep the MAKO on course and gaping behind him at the same time.

"She _jumped_? What is she doing?"

"_Eyes on the road_, LT!" Williams barked back, her heart pounding in shock. "_Liara! Get away from the door!"_

The asari was stabbing wildly at the door controls, trying to get it open. Through sheer blind luck she managed to hit the right sequence and the door began to lift once again. Turning away only long enough to grab her own helmet, she slammed it on.

"_Liara! What are you-?"_

Ashley's voice was lost in the wind as Liara leapt.

* * *

><p>Shepard curled tight as she hit the ground, rolling over dirt and jagged rock with angry spits and flares of her kinetic shields. Bouncing a little as she hit one particularly hefty outcropping, she slammed back down to the ground, skidded to a halt. Instantly she was on her feet, head snapping toward the MAKO and then toward the maw.<p>

The vehicle had continued on as ordered. The maw, infuriated by the machine and the continuous spit of fire from the turret had completely missed Shepard. Its head continued to track the MAKO, dirt rumbling as it tried to raise more of its prodigious bulk from the ground to better reach it. A snorting cough and a great wad of mucus barely missed the MAKO and struck the rock-wall just behind, rising steam from its surface.

She couldn't afford to hesitate. Not with the lives of her crew…her _friends_…on the line. Shepard sprinted from where she had landed, aiming for the great coiling wall of the maw's body where it emerged from the ground. As she neared she could see two alternating patterns of scale. Huge plates ran down its back, pointed down from head toward tail, the sharp ends bristling toward her as it moved. Flanking either side were smaller rows of scale pointed in the opposite direction, sharp-edge up toward the head. Leaping, Shepard reached out and caught hold of one of these by the edge.

Instantly the outer leather cover of her gloves sliced wide open. The middle layer was woven with light steel mesh which managed to protect her hands…but wouldn't last long. Gripping as tight as she could she swung her body upward until she was perched on the maw's coil.

A sound like sharpening metal rang down the beast's back, the scales shifting and sparking off one another as it turned, still tracking the MAKO and unaware of the bug now clinging to it. An edge thin and sharp enough to slice her head off swept by only an inch away from her helmet as she struggled to plant her feet, to climb her way upward.

The concussive explosions of the MAKO's shot was deafening, mingled with the maw's angry snarls and hefty coughs as it spat yet more acid toward the vehicle. Only able to follow the MAKO by sound and the motions of the creature, Shepard continued to climb, gritting her teeth as only a few scales further up the steel mesh began to cut and give way, digging through the inner padding to bite at her hands.

"C'mon, Shep," she gasped. "Just a bit further."

Snarling, she hefted herself up another couple of feet. Low, blunt spines emerged from the corners of the beast's jaws and she was straining for one of these when the mesh finally gave way, the sharp edge of the scale penetrating through and making short work of the padding. Hot pain burned into her hand and she could feel the warm wet slide down her wrist. Releasing the scale she all but lunged, catching hold of one of the spines.

Almost the same instant she was hanging on for her life as the maw swung and then shook its head, one of the shots from the MAKO landing dangerously close. She was nearly tossed free, holding on for dear life to one scale and one spine. Her legs swung to the side, hip crashing into one of the larger scales. The kinetic barrier barely halted the impact and the edge of the scale slashed into the thick armor more than an inch…not enough to actually strike flesh, but close enough. Had she hit it any harder or any more directly, she would have lost her leg before he'd even known she'd been hit.

As the motion steadied, she lunged again, grasping for a second spine. Her right hand had been cut worse than her left, and blood made her grip slick as she tried to hold on. It was only through sheer determination that she managed not to be thrown once again, and found herself in a secure position.

Braced against the spines on the back of the maw's head, she planted her boot on one of the larger scales and pushed outward. Thick layers of sole were sheered away, sliced through in an instant, before the scale once more struck steel mesh reinforcement. Holding the scale as far away from the beast's body as she could, Shepard unshipped her pistol, aimed it at the soft flesh hidden beneath it, and fired as quickly as she could pull the trigger.

The reaction was instant and violent. The maw screamed as blood splattered up against Shepard's helmet, and threw its head up wildly before it flung it toward the earth. Instantly she found herself airborne, her body tossed upward a good thirty feet. Below her she could see the maw, blood slicking the back of its head as it darted down toward the ground. The MAKO was sliding to a halt, sending up plumes of dirt and nearly crashing into the emergency transmitter that was still blithely flashing away.

Shrieking with agony, the maw didn't dive back into the earth but instead rolled, lashing out blindly. As Shepard began to fall again toward it, she saw gaping mouth, teeth, a pit of death waiting for her.

Figuring she wasn't about to go out unless it was fighting, she began to fire into that mouth, her pistol opening small blooms of blood in the soft tissue expanse that opened in front of her.

Then the mouth snapped aside violently, a huge pulsing wave of biotic energy slamming into the maw's head and knocking it silly. In lieu of being swallowed, Shepard instead crash-landed into the side of its neck, scales rending her armor and sending brands of pain skidding over her side as she started to slide. She had to be less than twenty feet off the ground now, and falling seemed a much better fate than being sliced into pieces. Pushing off with all her strength she shoved away from the maw, losing hold on her pistol as she did.

She hit the ground with a bark of pain, rolling. The maw's mouth was darting in toward her again…and once again slammed aside with a huge wave of blue energy. This time, Shepard saw the cause. Liara, hands uplifted, flung her arms to the side. The beast was slammed again, hard enough one of its spear-like teeth actually snapped.

Squealing, shaking its head, mortally wounded, the beast seemed disoriented. A bark from the MAKO further distracted it and Liara turned, bolting to Shepard's side and dropping to her knees, grasping hold of the commander. "Shepard!"

Seated, bleeding from more than a dozen points, Shepard flung her arm in front of Liara as the maw reoriented itself, then reached behind her back, pulling a short, wide-barreled weapon around. The beast, eyes blazing, dove in for the kill just as Shepard pulled the trigger.

The gun burped. The grenade slapped into the back of the maw's throat hard enough the thing coughed and gagged, rearing back slightly.

A low belch and flame and viscera both spurt out from between the thing's clenched teeth. The eyes went blank, and with a final rumbling groan, the maw died.

Panting for breath, Shepard dropped the grenade launcher and simply sat there in the dirt, propped up on her elbows, Liara grasping hold of her. Both women simply stared at the dead thing until they heard the hum of the approaching MAKO.


	5. Chapter 5

The krogan youngling was about the height of a sixteen year old human, though of course much more broad. Gellian sat and watched the faintly distorted face through the nutritional fluid of the growth tube. Constantly replenishing, the influx and outflow of the growth medium created a faint current…it brushed past the youngling's face, made it look like he was nodding a little in his sleep.

A8-11. The only one that had not been flushed of the A8 generation.

Thanks to her aide over the last week, the new embryonic A10 generation was showing a great deal of promise. Sadly, they were not bred for intelligence, and while they would be aggressive, they would not be nearly as driven as a normal krogan. Saren needed an obedient army that did what it was told, not a thousand mercs who got their own ideas.

This one though…little A8-11…he was different.

She'd been monitoring his genetic structure and dissecting the DNA code from samples in her down time the last week, curious to see how he was the only one who had really survived Dr. Droyas's incompetence. There were mutations there that intrigued her, and as Droyas seemed to have all but forgotten this one specimen, Gellian took it upon herself to tweak him a bit, play around with his alleles.

"You're a pretty little frog, aren't you?" she cooed softly, her forehead pressed against the glass tube as she sat half slumped on a stool. Her lab coat was draped over the table nearby, next to an open case, a vial and a couple of scattered syringes. Sitting there in a short-sleeved shirt, she only half-remembered the rubber tourniquet tied around her arm.

Her eyes shifted languidly to look at it, and the bead of crimson running from her scarred inner-arm. The last syringe she'd dropped was a thousand miles away on the concrete floor, somewhere beyond her feet.

Lifting her right hand, she managed to untie the tourniquet and let it fall as well.

"Good news!" Droyas's voice rang like thunder through the room, making the world around her seem to shimmer in the reflections of its echo. As she glanced over at him, she tried to puzzle out the strange and grotesque expression on his face. It took her a moment to realize he was _smiling_. "The new lot are stable and growing beautifully, and show no genetic sign of the genophage! My people are saved, thanks to you."

"Yay me," she sing-songed softly, not bothering to point out to him that while these new krogan would be fully capable of reaching the prodigious fecundity the krogan species had once enjoyed…they would be easily pliable idiots incapable of surviving under their own direction.

"We shall have over sixteen hundred fully mature krogan warriors by the end of a month's time, well ahead of our projected schedule. I-"

He paused, having spied the open case, the scattered syringes. His look, when it returned to her, was wry. "Starting the celebration a bit early?"

"It is medical need and not, as you say, celebration," she said, straightening a little.

"Of course," he said, clearly not believing her. "Well, what do I care what you shoot yourself up with? Obviously it gets results. A grand and glorious future for the krogan is just on the horizon, and I'm so pleased I don't even care that it was a hairless, junkie primate that paved the way."

"Hmm. Well, this hairless junkie primate would like once again to huzzah and cheer the inevitable krogan rise to power and would ask a single, humble boon for her miniscule efforts."

Though her voice was dripping with sarcasm, Droyas didn't seem to hear it.

"My clan will soon be the most powerful in the galaxy! I could give you Earth if I wanted to."

"Well, thank you but my request is not nearly so grandiose."

"What do you want?"

Lifting her hand, she tapped her fingernail meaningfully on the growth tube. Droyas blinked.

"_That_? That youngling is a waste of flesh. I wouldn't even use him for target practice."

Gellian didn't bother to point out that the 'waste of flesh' as he called it, was the pinnacle of what _Droyas_ had been able to achieve in six months time. Well, that wasn't entirely true, thanks to her own tweaking, but Droyas didn't know of that. As far as he was aware, A8-11 was entirely his own work.

"Then you won't mind parting with him."

"Take him," he snorted disdainfully. Gellian smiled languidly.

"How good of you. Have him loaded up onto my shuttle."

Droyas blinked, then frowned. "Now? You are leaving now?"

"Well, as delightful as your company has been, as you succinctly pointed out our goals here have been achieved. Saren will have his army, you will be a legend among krogan, turians shall be crushed underfoot, et cetera et cetera. You do not need me anymore, not just to watch frogspawn grow. I am going to go and make sure that Saren's _other_ army are behaving their little arachnid selves."

His look turned dark. "You're welcome to them. You just make sure that Saren knows that when he has this Conduit of his, _my_ krogan army is going to crush _his_ Rachni army underfoot, just like we did before."

"I'll be sure to let him know _exactly_ how you feel," she replied with a sweet smile. "In the meantime, I will get out of your hair…or your charming lack thereof. See that this tube is loaded on my shuttle. I have far more interesting places to be."

* * *

><p>"<em>Careful<em>! Don't move too quickly-"

"Liara, I'm fine," Shepard insisted, as Alenko helped her to sit on the open bumper of the MAKO, the large cargo door she had leapt out of not ten minutes before standing wide.

"No offense, ma'am," the lieutenant smirked. "But your armor looks like you've been through a garbage disposal. I'm not buying that claim of 'fine' either."

"Here we are," Ashley called in triumph, appearing from within the MAKO a moment later, med-kit in hand. She crouched and began to rummage through it. "Plenty of med-gel."

Grasping Shepard's hand carefully, Liara began to gingerly peel one of the shredded gloves off as Alenko began to unsnap her arm-guards. The asari couldn't help a little hiss of sympathy as she saw the deep cut across the center of the human woman's palm, slick and dark with blood.

"You know, you really are crazy," Alenko stated as he set the arm-guards aside and began carefully working the broken fastens of the breast-plate. The right side was so gashed and sliced it threatened to come apart in pieces in his hand.

"So everyone keeps telling me," Shepard replied.

Ashley handed Liara a rag and a small pack of med-gel, the asari snatching them and carefully setting about treating Shepard's hand.

"What possessed you?" Liara wanted to know. "You could have been killed!"

"_Me_? I'm a trained soldier, Tianlán. Risks are part of the job. What possessed _you_ to go jumping out after me?"

"A single soldier on foot after a _thresher maw_? I was trying to stop you from _dying_!"

"And she succeeded," Ashley pointed out. "Twice, if my count was accurate."

"All right, that's enough," Shepard glowered. "I'm fine. We still have a job to do. Ash, see if you can find any traces of the missing platoon. I doubt you'll find so much as a scrap of cloth but their families deserve to know we made every effort. Alenko, see if you can figure out who planted that transmitter…I have a very hard time believing that whoever did, _didn't_ know they were doing so in the middle of a damn thresher nest."

Ash set the medical kit down and started to step past. As she did, Shepard lifted her still gloved hand. "And give me your pistol."

"Ma'am?" Ash asked, confused, even as she unshipped the pistol and passed it over. Shepard aimed it and pulled the trigger. The flashing light on top of the transmitter exploded in a puff of crimson glass.

"That thing was getting on my nerves," she grumped, handing the pistol back. "Get to work."

The two soldiers headed off. Liara didn't so much as glance after them as she finished slathering the cut in medi-gel, binding it carefully, before she snatched hold of Shepard's other hand.

"Hey, _ow_!" the commander protested. Liara scowled, easing off the second glove.

"This gash is worse than the first," she lectured. "You are lucky you were not cut to pieces, or swallowed whole."

"We're _all_ lucky to be alive," Shepard retorted as Liara began to mop up the blood. "It's pure dumb chance we got through that at all."

"Yes, _dumb_ is the word I was searching for," Liara snapped, her blue eyes simmering as looked up at Shepard, who glared right back.

"Look, Liara…this isn't some archaeological dig, you get me? This is what we do _every day_."

"Your crew rely on you, and you nearly threw your life away!" the asari returned just as hotly.

"You're right, they _do_ rely on me! And I will do anything and _everything_ I can to keep them safe, to make sure they all go home to their families. The MAKO was _not_ going to take out that maw. The _Normandy_ and her guns never would have reached us in time. I had to make a call, and I had to make it fast."

"Did you do it for _us_?" Liara asked, cinching the bandage tight, her eyes accusatory. "Or did you do it for your _own_ bravado?"

"My own-" Shepard blinked. "No, _really_ T'Soni, if you've got something to say, just say it! My own _bravado_? You think I did this out of _ego_?"

"I do not know," Liara returned angrily. "All I have ever heard of humans is how they are greedy, bullish and vainglorious. I thought you were different, that I had been wrong but…then you do something like _this_!"

"I did this because it was the _right_ thing to do, the _right_ call to make," Shepard snarled. "Your lives, _all_ your lives, are _my_ responsibility! I'm not a politician who can sweep people under the rug, leave them forgotten and alone to die! I'm a goddamn _soldier_! That's all I know how to be. I am ready and willing to give my life _at any time_ so that you can live, so that Ash's sisters can see her again as more than just a photo and a flag at a memorial service. And you suggest I did it out of _ego_?"

"_You could have died_!" Liara hissed, hands clenched in tiny fists at her side with the force of her emotion. Shepard stared at her, and felt her anger deflate almost as rapidly as it had come on. She lowered her head, clenching her teeth a moment before she took a deep breath and shook her head.

"Yeah, I could have," she admitted quietly. "_Should_ have, honestly. Unfortunately, that's part of the job, Tianlán. There's a reason most marines never see retirement. But it's over now. I'm fine, you're fine…Ash and Alenko are both fine, and the maw is dead. I'd say this was a slam dunk for the home team."

Liara looked away, and Shepard reached forward, lightly pushing her shoulder. "Hey, we _both_ were pretty bad ass, right?"

The faintest smirk appeared on the asari's lips and Shepard chuckled. "_Right_? Not many people can say they took down a thresher maw."

"This is what I meant about ego," Liara said softly, but her faint smile didn't fade. She looked at Shepard from the corner of her eye. "We…_were_ pretty 'bad ass' as you say, weren't we?"

"Baddest there are," Shepard grinned. Liara shook her head with a sigh and a faint chuckle.

"You are impossible," she lamented wearily, then gestured at Shepard's side. "And you are still bleeding."

Moving gingerly, the two women finished stripping off Shepard's breast plate. The lower half of the black uniform shirt underneath was ripped to shreds on the right side, three or four deep parallel gashes showing through the rends in fabric. Liara tore the shreds of cloth free, then grimaced in sympathy as she looked at the cuts.

"Even with medi-gel these will likely scar," she said, and started to clean them up, filling them carefully with the super antibiotic cream before pasting sealant over them. As she finished tending to Shepard's ribs, she crouched and reached for her legs.

"No need," Shepard told her. "My feet are fine, my boots just got a bit shredded is all."

Sliding off of the MAKO as Liara straightened she was unsurprised to feel no pain. Medi-gel had an anesthetic quality to it as well, and had fully numbed every cut.

Liara trailed behind her as she strode toward the transmitter. Alenko had it open and was examining its guts, Ashley searching the perimeter some distance away.

"Report?"

"I have a half-filed serial number," Alenko told her. "We should be able to salvage it, research the manufacturer, maybe trace who it was sold to."

He pulled a panel out and straightened, handing it to her. She wiped a hand over the scratches covering the serial number. "Sloppy."

"Yeah. I can tell though that this is human make…it's the model the Alliance used only two years ago."

"Your Alliance did this?" Liara asked. Shepard shook her head.

"I doubt it. More likely it was decommissioned and sold as surplus, possibly even on the black market. Could be anyone from mercs to pirates that did this, though they were probably still human. Or as human as you _can_ be when you stick a cry for help right in the center of a thresher nest."

"Commander."

Ashley was heading their direction. Shepard handed the panel back to Alenko and looked around as the gunnery chief drew near. She had a few small items in her hand. "Couple of dog tags, personal PDA" she said. "It's all I could find. The PDA was in the drop-car. Half the side is gone, melted away…probably from maw spit. I don't think we're going to find anything else."

Shepard took the tags, looking over them solemnly. "We'll return these to Kahoku. At least he'll know what happened. Maybe we can even give him who's responsible, if we can track that serial number."

"I also found this, ma'am," Ash grinned, and presented the broken maw tooth. It was at least six inches long, the ragged end showing where it had snapped free. "Figured you might like it."

Shepard grinned, and took the tooth, then looked at Liara. "It'd be a great trophy…if it were mine. Tianlán, I do believe this belongs to you."

"Me?" Liara asked as Shepard passed it over.

"It was your biotic right hook that broke that free," Shepard reminded her. "And without it I would have been little more than an hors d'oeuvre, so yeah. I'd say it's yours."

"Yeah, how did you do that, anyway?" Alenko asked. "I've seen L5's in action, and I know asari are strong biotically, but that was something else."

"I…am not sure," Liara said, looking bashfully at the length of tooth in her hand. "I have never done anything like that before. I did not stop to think I just…well, adrenaline, I guess."

"_Impressive_, is what I'd call it," Ashley grinned.

"Yes, well, it…I..it was just what had to be done," Liara stammered, face darkening with a blush. "That is what soldiers do, is it not?"

"Oh, so you're a _soldier_ now?" Shepard asked with an amiable grin, lifting her brows. "What was that you said earlier about ego, my friend?"

Liara lifted her chin and smiled. "That was before I was an incredible 'bad ass'," she teased. Williams broke out laughing and Alenko hid a snort of amusement behind his hand.

"Careful, T'Soni. I can see your head swelling already. You may not fit back on the _Normandy_ again, you keep that up."

When Liara lifted her hand in confusion, touching her head, Shepard laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, 'bad ass'. We got a ship to get back to and I have a few calls to make."

"And a doctor to see," Liara impressed seriously as they headed back toward the MAKO. Shepard scowled.

"Killjoy."

* * *

><p>"I am sorry, Admiral. I had hoped to deliver better news."<p>

Kahoku looked grim and tired as he nodded from the vid screen. "Understood, Commander. I appreciate your efforts. The…lengths that you went to are commendable. I am sorry that your own unit was put into so much danger."

"I'd have expected the Alliance to do no less if it were me and mine that were missing, sir," she replied. "I will send the dog tags I did find back to you. My people are about to start research on the transmitter serial number-"

"Send that to me as well," Kahoku interrupted. "I have far more resources to trace it, and you need all the man power you can get on other concerns right now. No need to tie you up further with this. Commander…I am very grateful to you. And I know that the families of those missing men will be grateful as well."

"Understood, Admiral. Please…for peace of mind, let me know if you find out who it was that did this."

"You'll be my first call. Kahoku out."

The image faded and Shepard leaned on the console with a sigh of frustration. There would be people out there tonight that would find out their loved ones were never coming home, all because some anonymous bastard had dropped a transmitter in a thresher nest.

"Rough day, Commander?"

She straightened and turned. Joker stood just within the door, a data pad in his hand. Shepard smirked tiredly and shook her head, walking his direction.

"Same old same old," she said, holding out her hand as he passed her the day's reports.

"You have some whacked out hobbies if playing rodeo on a thresher maw is 'same old same old'," the pilot smirked.

"Ride with me a bit longer, Jeff, and you'll find out," she told him, signing the pad.

"Just so long as I don't have to saddle up the next maw," he answered, then gestured at her side. Though she had been treated by Chakwas and was dressed in a fresh, significantly less tattered uniform, she knew exactly what he was indicating. "Hear you're gonna have some pretty wicked scars."

"An exaggeration. Chakwas assured me they won't be that impressive."

"You're taking it rather well. No offense, but most women hate scars…unless they're on men."

"And I strike you as most women, do I?" She chuckled, handing him the signed reports. "Scars show what you've made it through, what you've survived. I'd rather have a scar than a medal any day."

"Well, at any rate they're usually less painful to get, right? Don't have to dress up and endure some boring ceremony for hours on end."

"Not the dress uniform type, are we Joker?" she said, then nodded toward the reports. "Get those filed and get some rack time. Tomorrow's going to be another goddamn headache."

"Bureaucrats and stuffed shirts," he nodded. "Never been to Noveria but from my experience with suits…"

"Yeah, I'd take a whole ship full of geth over them any day," Shepard agreed. "Go on. I'm sacking it as well. 0700, understood?"

"Aye, ma'am," he said, and watched her walk out before he chuckled softly to himself. "Don't let Liara keep you up too late."

* * *

><p>"Well, she couldn't be <em>too<em> angry with you. You are here, after all."

Tali leaned on the cold concrete wall, glancing around the small port lobby. For a 'colony' funded by a bunch of rich corporations, they certainly weren't big on décor…or maybe they just didn't waste it on visitors. The lobby wasn't softened or warmed by a single carpet or plant. There weren't even chairs. The only view was out one window and nothing was visible but a horizontal sheet of snow, whipping past the glass at incredible speeds.

"Yes, I am here," Liara grudgingly admitted. "Likely because she does not feel our visit here will be dangerous. There was no sign of geth drop-ships in the atmosphere, and we are unlikely to run into a thresher maw in the middle of a corporate port on a mountainside. The most dangerous thing we are likely to find is red-tape…and Shepard's temper if this turns out to be merely more rumor, another distraction."

"Now _that's_ a scary thought," Tali chuckled, then shook her head. "Personally, I think if she ever had reason to doubt that you could take care of yourself, knocking out a thresher maw would have changed her mind."

"I did not knock out a thresher maw. I merely jostled it a bit, to distract it."

"Breaking its tooth in the process," Tali insisted. "Maybe you are here because she _trusts_ you. Did you ever think of that? I mean, it was pretty gutsy of you to jump out of that MAKO to help her. Clearly, you do not shy away from a fight."

"I only wanted to help. I-"

Though she could not see Tali's expression through her helmet, she did not miss the way her head suddenly turned, catching sight of something over Liara's shoulder. Straightening the asari woman looked, to see Shepard heading back their way from the desk.

"Uh oh, she does not look happy," Tali murmured.

"Please, tell me it is not just more rumor," Liara asked as Shepard drew near, then knit her brows. The commander looked grim as opposed to angry, and did not waste time beating around the proverbial bush.

"Liara, Benezia is here," she said as she reached their side. Liara felt her heart speed, and she blinked.

"Benezia?" she echoed. "Are you sure?"

"Parasini, the woman that called off the security dogs out front? She said Benezia passed through Hanshan a couple days ago. An asari matriarch with full entourage is quite hard to miss, and she was positive of the name."

Liara put her back to the wall, one hand resting over her stomach. Tali put a hand on her shoulder. "Liara? You ok?"

"I am…fine," she said. "Just…"

"I understand if you want to go back to the ship," Shepard said. "I can hope this will all go diplomatically but you know the chances of that as well as I do. I can't put you through that."

"No, no…I will come," Liara told her. "Perhaps I can talk to her, reason with her."

"Maybe," Shepard didn't sound convinced. "But you have to be prepared, Tianlán. We don't know why she's here, or why she's doing what she's doing. This could all get really ugly really fast, and you know I will take whatever measures I have to, to end _any_ threat she poses."

Liara nodded, and looked at the human woman, hoping she at least looked as brave as she didn't feel. "I understand," she said. "If it comes to…to _that_, then I owe it to her to at least be there, to face her once again. I owe her an attempt to understand, even if I do not agree."

Shepard looked at her intently a moment, silently measuring, before she slowly nodded. "All right then. Well. This lot are just as paranoid and irritating as we were afraid they would be. Seems we gotta go down and talk to some suit named Anoleis and get forms signed in triplicate if we even want to blow our goddamn noses. Might as well get started."

* * *

><p>Anoleis turned out to be an irritating, grating little Salarian that thought the best way to greet Shepard was to call her a refugee from the acid-washed slum that was Earth. Shepard knew a bully when she saw one…and she fucking hated bullies. This Anoleis was used to being the big fish, hiding behind his position in his little frozen empire. Shepard has absolutely no problem putting him in his place.<p>

"Tali," she asked calmly. "Do you know what happens when you shoot a salarian bureaucrat in the head?"

"No?" Tali asked warily, a bit surprised by the question. Shepard's gaze sparked dangerously as she looked Anoleis in the eye.

"The same thing that happens when you shoot _anything_ _else_ in the head."

"Threaten me all you want, Commander," Anoleis returned dryly. "Do you think I am stupid? So much as draw your weapon and you and your companions will all be dead before you can-"

"Really?" Shepard asked, and in one smooth motion drew her pistol and aimed it at the wall. Pop. A false wall panel burst open in a rain of sparks. Shifting her aim without pause, she pulled the trigger again. Another panel fell away, the electronics behind it fizzing. "Because of those hidden 3-48 security turrets? You should have shopped around. The 3-48's were recalled due to a completely unacceptable reaction delay of over four seconds. As you can see, it does not take any decent marksman nearly that long to take out their power cores. Saved a few creds, no doubt. Bet you have to be asking yourself right now whether or not those creds were worth it."

"Administrator?"

The woman who had greeted them upstairs, Parasini, stood in the doorway, eyes wide in alarm as she stared at the destroyed walls.

"We're all right, just having a nice conversation, aren't we Anoleis?" Shepard asked, shipping her pistol.

"Of course," Anoleis, to his credit, sounded remarkably calm. He looked at his assistant. "Get out would you? You have work to do."

As the woman retreated, Shepard folded her arms. "I believe we have an understanding now?"

"Indeed," Anoleis replied. "And rest assured I will be charging the Alliance for the cost of replacing my turrets and my wall panels."

Shepard tsked with amusement.

"I highly doubt I can help you with any business you have," He continued. "However, as you will no doubt monopolize my time until I hear you out, please make your request quick."

"I am looking for Matriarch Benezia. I was told she passed through here not long ago."

"That is correct. She did indeed pass through with her entourage and a large shipment a few days ago, heading for the Peak 15 research facility."

"What kind of shipment?"

"The kind that come in sealed, anonymous crates," he replied sarcastically. "Anonymous here meaning 'none of your business'."

"Fine. I'll ask her in person then. We'll be heading to Peak 15."

"No, you won't Commander," Anoleis sighed, a long-suffering sound. "In case you had not looked out a window, or you have a terribly incompetent pilot who failed to inform you, there is a class nine blizzard outside just at the moment. No one is leaving Hanshan for the next several days. It is unsafe to do so, by air or by land."

"I'll take the risk."

"That's nice, but it's not going to happen. The garage is locked down, and if you attempt to return to your ship and depart in that manner our defensive grid will activate and some very large anti-craft weaponry will make your day go a lot more poorly than it already has. You…_did_ see those great big guns outside when you landed, did you not? I assure you, I didn't cut corners on _those_ to save a few creds."

"You are insufferable!" Liara snapped. Anoleis looked at her blandly.

"My dear, what I am is _extremely busy_. I cannot make this any more clear. Until the storm is over, _no one_ is leaving this port."

"C'mon, we're done here," Shepard said, turning and heading for the door.

"So that's it then. We're stuck here until the blizzard is over?" Tali asked as they emerged from the office. "Days, weeks…Benezia will be long gone by then."

"Hardly," Shepard grumped. "I'm not about to sit around here on my duff because some salarian asshole-"

"Commander, if I may have a moment?"

Parasini strode up with a quick glance at the administrator's door, before whispering rapidly. "I can get you out of this Port. There's a turian, moping in the bar of the hotel across the way. His name is Lorik Qui'in. Talk to _him_."

Just that fast, she was back at her desk, tucking her phone earpiece on her ear again and answering calls without so much as a glance back their direction.

"What…was _that_?" Tali asked.

"Not sure," Shepard murmured, narrowing her eyes at the assistant before she shook her head and started out into the port. "Let's go find out."

* * *

><p>"Are you in <em>danger<em>?" Gellian asked, eyes intent on the small holographic Benezia.

"Negligible, at best," the matriarch replied calmly. "We are secure in this section from any Rachni threat."

"And what about a _non_-Rachni threat?" Gellian demanded. "You just told me that Anoleis reported that soldier arrived and is trying to get to you."

"Through a blizzard, with her ship grounded?"

"That's not going to stop her. She's resourceful…and bull-headed."

"True. However if she _continues_ to prove resourceful and makes it to Peak 15 she will have an entire army of Rachni drones to contend with, not to mention my geth, the commandos, and Captain Ventralis's men."

"I take nothing for granted, Benezia…and at your age you shouldn't either," Gellian retorted, checking her coords. "I'll be landing at the port in an hour. If I get a chance to I will take her out before she gets anywhere near 15."

"You are a scientist, Gellian…not a soldier," Benezia said warily. "No matter your talents you are not a match for trained Alliance marines. I have this in hand. It is better that you simply remain in orbit until my business here is concluded."

As Benezia's image faded, Gellian snorted to herself. "Yeah, fuck _that_. Old as you are, I'm the goddamn genius, 'Zia. I'm not taking the chance."

* * *

><p>"You! <em><strong>YOU<strong>_! Spectre! I demand you arrest this bitch _immediately_!"

Damn, but no one could shriek like a salarian. Shepard leaned on the wall, arms folded as she watched Parasini muscle Anoleis toward the door. The jackass was cuffed, spittle flying from his lips as he shouted his demands toward Shepard. Lifting her hand she casually rubbed the side of her nose with her middle finger. The gesture was probably lost on the alien, but that didn't matter.

It wasn't as satisfying as it might have been putting a bullet or three in his head, but it was damn satisfying nonetheless.

Qui'in, the turian Parasini had referred them to, turned out to have evidence of Anoleis stealing money from the very corporations who trusted him. Parasini was in fact an internal affairs agent doing an undercover investigation of this corruption. Qui'in had been refusing to cooperate but a little favor on Shepard's part, a few well-placed bullets, and voila.

"Thanks, Shepard," Parasini tossed over her shoulder as she forced Anoleis out the door. "I owe you a beer!"

As they trooped down to the locked garage, Parasini's security pass in hand, Tali listened to the howling wind beyond the windows and said, "I do not know which would be worse. Staying here with all the suits, or going out into _that_."

"No doubt in my mind which one I'd prefer," Shepard said without breaking stride. "Snow might kill you but at least it's honest about it."

"Honest and _cold_," Tali murmured unhappily.

"_Bracing_," Shepard smirked. They reached the locked garage, and she swiped the pass Parasini had provided. With a beep and an audible thump, the door unlatched. Shepard opened it, and paused.

The garage was dimly lit, the far side near the wide vehicle doors almost invisible in darkness. A pair of drop-cars and a couple of CATS, specifically designed for the rugged conditions outside, sat dormant and silent. The smell of dust and grease filled the air…which was at least five degrees cooler than the port proper.

"Looks like we have our pick," Liara stated as she reached over and hefted up a lever near the door. Lights began to snap on, slowly banishing the gloom.

"The CAT there, the one on the end," Shepard gestured. "It's got a plow turret. We'll take that one."

As Tali stepped past her to head in that direction, Shepard saw a faint crimson pinpoint suddenly dance over the woman's helmet. Instantly she lurched forward, slamming into the quarian and sending her from her feet.

"_Down_!"

A puff of concrete exited from the wall just behind them, the shot itself completely silent, even in the large garage.

Shepard had her pistol up in a moment, but all she caught sight of was a swift flash of motion at the far end of the room, oddly high. Crouched, she pointed toward the vehicle, indicating to Tali to take cover. The quarian wordlessly scrambled up and behind the CAT, drawing her own weapon as she did so.

Liara, on the other side of Shepard, had dropped behind a small tool bench. She was glowing faintly blue, eyes searching the room a moment before she whispered toward Shepard.

"_Where are they_?"

Shepard put her finger to her lips to indicate silence, then pointed toward where she had seen the motion. Edging a little to the side, she risked a glance at the hole in the wall. Less than half an inch in circumference, not too high a caliber. Inching down she nearly lay flat on the floor and surveyed the room from ground level. There. A pair of feet behind an extended lift on the far end, near the door. It was on the opposite side from the motion she had seen.

Moving into a crouch again she gestured at the two women that there was one in that direction as well.

_Let's wake them up_, she thought, then eased a flash-bang off her hip, setting it and then pitching it under hand toward the lift. As it tinked on the ground she saw the red laser light dance over it again, a breath before it went off.

In the flash of light and smoke, something leapt down from the ceiling. Shepard fired, heard a squeal of metal and machinery, before whatever it was darted away toward the garage work-station. It was fast and small, moving far too quickly to be any humanoid she knew of.

Two more holes popped open in the concrete just behind her, raining little puffs of dust. Her shields flared blue a moment as a third shot was halted just in front of her chest.

Just as she'd thought. Too small a caliber to get through her shields, and too slow a firing speed to overload them with attrition.

Whatever it was that belonged to the feet had stepped forward through the smoke, far larger than its flighty companion. She saw only shape, before fire bloomed in the dark, the rattle of heavy fire echoing enormously in the air. The front panels of the CAT Tali was sheltered behind chewed up under the barrage.

The quarian didn't hesitate. The moment there was a pause in the fire she ducked around the bumper, her pistol igniting with determination. As the torso of the larger enemy turned away from her, Shepard darted out into the open.

She fired toward the larger shape herself, felt two light jolts on the back of her shields as the smaller one tried to shoot her. As the thing swung toward her again the smoke had cleared enough for her to recognize what it was.

Geth. Of _course_.

The zippy one seemed to realize it could not hurt her and moved position. It leapt past, almost directly over her shoulder and for a second she saw it clinging on the wall. It was a geth as well, not much larger than a six year old child, and built like a fuckin' monkey. It clung to the wall as easily as any spider and for a second the light that served as its head focused on her, before shifting toward Tali and Liara's hiding spots. The sighting laser and sniper function seemed built directly into its shoulders, leaving its hands completely free.

"Incoming," she barked, just as the thing leapt away again, aiming toward the vehicles.

She dared not go that way herself. The larger geth's guns were more than capable of blasting through her shields in only a few seconds of concentrated fire. She couldn't afford to let it get a bead on her.

She kept moving, drifting to the side as she dropped her pistol, hauling out her small assault rifle. The geth turned to follow her, the constant barrage of weaponsfire eating through the far wall as it attempted to bring the rain of bullets to bear on her.

The weapon in her hand spat once, then twice. The geth whined as its knee gave way, and it began to lose its balance, struggling to compensate. The wildly firing machine turret on its arm turned its barrage toward the ceiling, leaving its torso and head wide open.

A breath later its head really _was_ wide open as Shepard concentrated her fire, drawing the stream of bullets down toward its chest as the head came apart.

The turret stopped firing as the big machine dropped to its knees, chest spitting sparks and spurts of that viscous white fluid. As it went limp, bowed forward as it dripped goo and debris on the ground, Shepard walked over, planting a boot on its shoulder and pushing. It collapsed to its side, unmoving.

Satisfied it was dead, she shifted her aim toward where Liara and Tali had been sequestered, then lowered her weapon and blinked.

The smaller geth was suspended in mid-air, completely helpless, flailing in a bubble of blue energy. The sniper on its shoulder was gone, replaced by a ragged hole.

Liara stood beneath it, hands in the air as she concentrated the biotic energy. Tali had her pistol aimed at it but wasn't yet firing. Shepard shipped her own weapon and strode over, picking up her pistol on the way and shipping that as well. As she reached their side she said, "Drop it."

The bubble vanished, the geth falling to the ground. As it crashed at Shepard's feet, she immediately planted her boot on its back, holding it down. It wriggled and bucked, but could not get loose.

"Tali?"

The quarian's omni-tool activated in a flare of orange, and she made some adjustments to the controls before activating the scanning beam. She crouched herself, holding the little geth's head down and running the scan over as much of the machine as she was able.

"Looks like we got part of the data core," she reported, checking her results. "It has already begun to wipe it."

"Anything useful?"

"It will take me a little while to go through the information," Tali told her, straightening. Shepard crouched herself, grasping the thin little head and wrenching. There was a snap and a whine, before the geth went completely limp, the light dying. Stepping off of it Shepard looked toward the door just as a pair of Hanshan security rushed in.

One of them was the woman who had stopped them on the dock…Matsu-something. She'd have made a good marine…she hadn't blinked when Shepard had pointed her gun at her face after she insisted they had to relieve them of their weapons. Even now, she was all business.

"What's going on?"

"We were ambushed by geth," Shepard replied. "Seems the garage wasn't as nicely locked as everyone thought."

"Geth? You expect me to believe that?" the shorter woman asked skeptically. Shepard lifted a brow, then crouched down. Grabbing the dead geth by the arm, she straightened and dragged it over, dropping it at the officer's feet.

"Believe your own eyes?" She asked acerbically. The officer stared at the strange little body and the smear of white it had left behind, then met Shepard's eyes.

"How did geth get here?"

"My guess? Packed in those crates Benezia brought along with her," Tali supplied.

"No, we scanned those-"

"Let me guess," Shepard folded her arms, sarcastic. "Anoleis bought those scanners…got a real deal for them too, I bet. He does so _love_ saving creds."

"I have to report this, lock down the facility."

"Don't worry, if there were any more geth in the actual port I think we'd have heard from them by now. Most likely these two were left behind just in case someone tried to leave through the garage. But if you want my crew is available to help you clear the Port. Just tell XO Pressley to have Chief Williams handle it."

"I…will consider that. Thank you commander."

"Don't mention it."

Turning she headed over to the CAT, examining the damage.

"Will it still drive?" Liara asked. Shepard looked at it critically, then nodded.

"Yeah, just cosmetic I think. Most of the damage was to the reinforced plating."

"We could always take the other one."

"No turret. If there's been an avalanche or a landslide that's blocked the road, we're gonna need it to clear the way. Not to mention I'm betting more geth are waiting along the valley to make our day interesting. Let's get moving. I don't want to waste any more time here."

* * *

><p>The wind was a vicious beast, clawing and howling into the CAT, determined to carry it away or fling it off the edge of the road, into the deep valley below.<p>

Built with such conditions in mind, the CAT was low to the ground, with a wide stance that helped to keep it stable. Its treads chewed through the snow with dogged determination. Beyond the windscreen, Shepard could see little but white and gray, with an occasional rock looming into view before vanishing away. She was relying on the infrared navigation to keep on the narrow road.

Beyond the faint glow from the instrument panel and infrared, the only other illumination was Tali's omni-tool as she dumped the data from the scanned geth into her PDA. Occasionally she'd look up at the windscreen nervously. Sitting up front in shotgun, Liara wasn't all that comfortable with their predicament either.

Risking a momentary glance at the asari before fixing her gaze on the infrared again, Shepard asked, "You all right?"

"I am fine," she replied.

"You are a terrible liar." Shepard shook her head. "Can't say as I ever gave two shits about my folks but if I'd had anything approaching a normal childhood, and it was my mother we were heading to-"

"Please, I do not wish to talk about it. It will not change the situation and will not make me feel any better."

"Fair enough."

Silently she kept focused on the infrared, keeping the CAT's speed as steady as she dared. After a long pause, Liara looked at her and ventured, "Nancy…do you still speak to her?"

Shepard lifted her brows. "Salgado? Yeah, now and again. She writes me sometimes. She's retired now, helped start some colony out in the Traverse. After what happened to Paul she…well, she wanted to be as far from New York as she could get."

"I cannot say I blame her," Liara murmured sympathetically. "The Traverse, however…seems a bit dangerous. And helping to start a new colony does not seem a relaxing retirement prospect."

Shepard smiled. "Nancy never was one for 'relaxing'. Trust me, it's just like her. There isn't any kind of wilderness she can't bully her way through."

"You have a great affection for her."

"She's the reason I got a chance," Shepard agreed. "She's good people. She taught me that family is who you choose, not some accident you're born into."

Tali looked up toward the front, unable to help overhearing in the small quarters of the CAT. She watched the exchange with a slight, sad smile on her face before concentrating again on her PDA. She had not known Shepard or Liara long, and knew little about Shepard's past…though she had of course heard rumors. She did know there was a lot of pain there, a lot the woman had overcome. She liked that idea of family she had…that you chose who they were. Not that she hated her family…quite the contrary. Her father was a bit…distant, it was true, but he was a good man and Tali had wanted for nothing.

_Well, maybe a little more of his time_…

Scanning over the results on the PDA she sighed in frustration. "I'm afraid I did not get much of anything of use," she said in the silence. "Not what we did not already knew. This unit was told to stay and guard the garage against anyone that might attempt to leave. It has no information on Saren's designs, ship schematics…anything. The only thing that may be even remotely helpful is something about mind control."

"Mind control?" Shepard's surprise was clear. "What kind of mind control?"

"Something airborne…it is really fragmented. I only have the words 'mind control, imperative: research site HC for airborne'…and the word 'potential'. The rest is so corrupted I cannot recover it."

"The idea that Saren has or is researching anything having to do with mind-control, I find disturbing," Liara stated.

"You're not the only one. Keep working on it, Tali. We got at least another hour at this rate, according to maps and the weather outside."

"Of course, Shepard."

* * *

><p>They had reached a tunnel that had been driven into the side of one of the mountain peaks. It gave a bright, momentarily quiet reprieve from the relentless blizzard, but as they entered it, Shepard heard something she'd missed with the howling wind.<p>

"You hear that?" she asked, slowing the CAT down.

"Sounds like…grinding…" Liara agreed, then scanned the control panel. "I do not see anything on the mechanical diagnostics."

Shepard drew the vehicle to a halt. "Stay here. I'm going to check it. Infrared isn't showing anything but keep an eye on it."

"Aye."

Shepard opened the door and quickly climbed out, closing it behind her to retain the heat in the cab. Out in the tunnel it was bitterly cold. She hadn't put her helmet on and while most of her was protected by the climate control of her suit (which could resist even the extreme cold of the vacuum of space), her unprotected face immediately tingled and stung with the depth of chill in the air.

Still, she'd be fine for a little while. Out in the wind no doubt she'd have suffered frost-bite in seconds.

Circling the CAT carefully, she peered along the treads, reaching up under the chassis a time or two, searching for anything that might be causing the grinding. As she reached the front on the passenger's side of the cab, she found the cause. Part of the shredded metal from the shot-up blast panels had bent inward. It was grinding against the metal snow-treads. Not a real danger as the treads could hardly be punctured but an annoyance. Gripping the bent shard, Shepard grit her teeth and tried to force it back far enough it would no longer grind.

As she did, warm fluid suddenly spilled over her hand.

"The hell?" she growled, ducking down and peering up through the treadwell. "What? Who the hell designs a vehicle with the fuel line in reach of the damn wheel chassis?"

The shooting had apparently broken the fuel line's secure fastens free, making it dangle. The rocking motion and bumping of the CAT as they picked their way along the road had swung it enough to catch it between the tread and the torn shard of metal. She hadn't seen it, and cranking the metal away from the tread had torn it open.

Stalking toward the back of the CAT she slammed her fist into the side of the machine with another vehement curse.

Snapping open the back compartment she began to rummage for a tool-kit.

The front cab door opened, Liara called out. "Shepard? What is wrong?"

"We've torn the fuel-line," Shepard called back. "I've got to seal it up before we lose all our gas. The last thing I want is to be stuck out here unable to move. Close the door, you're letting all your heat out."

The door shut and Shepard hauled out a battered tool box, rummaging in it. Damn fuel vehicles. Anoleis had probably cut corners on them as well. Wasn't any reason not to have a full solar or a rechargeable electric vehicle nowadays, especially in a place like this where being stranded pretty much meant death.

Finding a tube of sealant she had just snapped the toolbox closed when she heard the cab door open again. "Damn it, Liara, I said-"

"_Geth_!" Liara shot back, jumping out of the cab with Tali close on her heels. Immediately Shepard dropped the tube and pulled out her assault rifle, backing up toward the women.

"Where?"

"Behind us, heading for the entrance to the tunnel," Liara reported. She had Shepard's helmet in hand, and thrust it at her. As she snapped it on her frozen cheeks slowly began to warm again.

Stepping up onto the cab foot-support, Shepard leaned in and risked a peek at the infrared, before dropping down again.

"There's a lot and they are big," she said. "Go, that way. Now. Run."

She pointed further down the tunnel, and as the two others took off at a run, she reached under the treadwell, grasping the torn fuel line and ripping it with all her strength, tearing it free. Fuel began to pump out like a garden hose and she dropped it, turning to run after her two companions.

Out of the gloom of the blizzard came the biggest geth Shepard had ever seen. Not humanoid in shape, it had four ungainly looking legs that propelled it with remarkable grace. It thumped forward steadily toward the CAT, the bright light on its head scanning the vehicle over. Flanking it were several humanoid geth, weapons in hand, the air filling with that high-pitched chatter of theirs.

Focused on the vehicle they had not yet seen the three women, but it would not take them long. The tunnel was straight and bare of anything to conceal or shelter them.

"Stop!" she finally called to the two women just in front of her. "Down, on the ground, _face down_!"

Her shouts drew the attention of the geth, who looked up. Lights crawled along the tunnel before swiftly focusing on them just as Liara and Tali dropped flat to the ground. The monster geth trundled forward a bit more, eagerly. One leg extended and planted on the side of the CAT. There was a horrible squeal of metal as the vehicle slid across the tunnel floor to one side, giving the geth room to get a clear bead on the three organics. Shepard pulled out her grenade launcher just as she saw a port on the front of the big geth begin to brighten. The humanoid synthetics had lifted their guns but were not yet bothering to fire.

Shepard bothered. Launching the grenade toward the truck she turned and dropped down as well, nearly on top of the asari and quarians, seeking to further shield them. Bullets sang through the air just over her head as the troopers ignited their weapons. She heard a high pitched whine starting as whatever weapon the big one was warming up prepared to launch.

Then a whump, and a rush, like a wave of water surging toward the shore. Shepard risked a glance over her shoulder as the light in the tunnel suddenly brightened. The grenade had gone off almost directly underneath the CAT, knocking a pair of the synthetics off their feet as it did. The fuel, which had been dumping rapidly from the vehicle since the moment Shepard had pulled the line free, was immediately ignited by the explosion, the flames following the fumes eagerly in a spreading sheet. The humanoid geth were immediately consumed in fire, scrambling backward in an attempt to escape it. The larger geth peered downward with an almost quizzical motion and attempted to also reverse itself.

Apparently it was not nearly so graceful going backward, and its back legs tangled, making it stumble.

"Get up! Go!" Shepard helped the two to their feet, glancing back.

The heat from the now raging fire funneled down the tunnel toward them, and the three women edged backward, weapons trained on the wavering forms of the geth in the inferno. The larger one was unable to right itself. Shepard knew better than to expect the fuel tank on the CAT to actually explode. At most it would create less of a blast than the grenade had. She was more counting on the immense heat, and indeed it seemed to be doing its job. The troopers were collapsing now. As one staggered its way from the flames in their direction, burning fuel creating wings of licking orange and red from its shoulders, Shepard dialed in and put it down with a shot to the face. It turned out to be the only real shot fired.

The thrashing as the larger geth tried to right itself was becoming more spasmodic, overheated joints seizing up and then grinding to a halt. The fire would not damage its strong exoskeleton beyond scorching it black, but the heat was destroying delicate internal electronics, frying connections, rupturing coolant tubes. When it finally fell still, Shepard lowered her gun.

"What do we do now?" Liara asked tentatively. From the end of the tunnel at their back, they could still hear the roaring of the frigid wind. To even step foot out in it was to be carried off the mountainside and into eternity.

"Let's have a look. We should have been fairly close to the facility."

"We're not going to be able to see anything in this storm, not even if it's four feet away," Tali said as she paced behind the other two. "However this tunnel was built as more than just an extension of roadway. I do believe this is a maintenance hub. With luck, there may be an access point to tunnels that will join to the facility proper."

Shepard turned on her omni-tool, activating the search light and playing it over the tunnel walls as they walked. The wind grew louder, occasional gusts working far enough into the tunnel to shake them on their feet, threatening to knock them over all together.

Only twenty feet from that bitter storm, the light came upon a low vent. Shepard walked over, crouching down and peering within, shining the light as far in as is she was able. Grimacing in irritation she sat back long enough to peel her helmet off again, then leaned close to the grate.

"I got warm air coming through. I think you're right, Tali. I think this connects to the facility."

As she sat back Tali crouched and began working on the bolts. "It is not that big," she said as she got the vent off and peered within. "We could fit…if we were not wearing armor or carrying weapons."

"And we can hardly leave those behind," Liara lamented.

Shepard unfastened her weapon pack, setting it against the wall. Then she started to strip off her gloves. Liara blinked. "What are you doing?"

"Chances are the facility has a garage with more than one vehicle," she said, tossing her gloves by her pack and setting about removing her armor. "I'm going to get in, and drive one back here. Pick you two up."

"It could be hundreds of yards, Commander," Tali said. "Anything could happen. You could get stuck-"

"I spent six years of my life living in vents just that size," Shepard said dryly, unfastening her breastplate. "I don't _get_ stuck."

"You'll freeze," Liara objected.

"Air in the vent itself is warm enough."

"On the way back? You will not be driving through the vents, or had you forgotten? You will freeze to death! And if there is an ambush waiting? How will you fight them with no weapons? We will all go."

"Tali can't fit in the vent without taking off her enviro-suit," Shepard pointed out. "And we'd have to leave all our weapon packs behind anyway. Don't worry. If I can fit, a goddamn pistol in my belt will fit too, I won't be completely unarmed. If I can't get back through the blizzard safely I'll come back through the vent again and we'll figure something else out. At least we'll have some idea how far it is to the facility and what we're facing there."

She kicked off her boots, noticeably shivering. The vent was warm but the tunnel itself was barely above freezing, even here out of the wind. Picking up her pistol she tucked it in the belt of her trousers. "You two stay against the wall and out of sight. I still have my ear-set so stay in radio contact. Keep those weapons ready and at hand."

A thousand more protests were on the tip of Liara's tongue but she knew they would not do any good. "Be careful," she urged instead. Shepard winked.

"Back before you know it," she promised, and with a surprising swiftness, she vanished into the vent, leaving the tunnel, her friends, and the howling storm behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

The noise of the snowstorm was distant here, a ghostly moaning that floated in and out of the dark, overwhelmed by the sound of her own breathing. The light from her omni-tool cut back the black, reflecting the dull gray walls of the vent as she crawled her way forward.

"Just like old times," she whispered, her voice echoing around her like bats in the dark. The space was so narrow she was reduced to simply pulling herself along with her arms for the most part, more or less just dragging her legs behind.

The temperature had risen. Not enough to be uncomfortable but the metal around her was noticeably warm, the moving air an uncomfortable heated breath on her face.

The subway ventilation tunnels she'd lived in had been much the same…hot, humid, at times stifling but insurance against freezing to death out in the bitter New York winter. As she moved along now, she kept expecting to hear the distant rumble of the underground trains, to smell smoke and steam and refuse wafting through in a miasma of human waste.

Home sweet home.

After about a dozen yards she paused and listened. The echoes had changed a little. Shifting she pointed her omni-beam straight down the vent. About six yards further on she could see a grate. A few feet in front of that, was a hole where the horizontal vent she was in intersected with a vertical one.

_{Commander,}_ Tali's voice suddenly filled her ear. _{We have gathered the weapons pack and your armor and moved up the tunnel, away from the entrance. Thanks to the fire it is warmer here.}_

"Any sign of more geth?"

_{Negative. All has been quiet.}_

"Good. I can see a grate up ahead…I think it opens to the outside on the opposite end of the ridge. There's a vertical drop as well. I'm going to check it out."

She continued to move forward, and shone her light down the shaft as she reached it. It was just as wide as the one she was in, and she could barely see the sheen of metal at its base, easily thirty feet below. "The shaft descends quite a bit. The grate is directly ahead of me now…definitely opens on the outside. I can feel the cold air coming through it. I'm going to descend the vertical shaft and see where it leads."

_{Be careful, Commander,}_ Liara urged.

"You know me," Shepard grinned.

_{That is why I am worried.}_

Shepard shook her head as she continued to examine the vertical drop. No handholds, smooth sides. Ah, well, that had never stopped her before.

Moving forward she pulled her body over the opening, half-entering the short dead-end shaft that held the grate. Cold air pinched her cheeks, stirring her hair as she did so. As soon as her knees were clear she lowered herself feet-first into the shaft, expertly bracing herself on the sides and moving downward.

Halfway down, moving steadily, she suddenly paused, listening. There was a faint noise, slowly growing louder…a strange kind of humming and rustling sound. Something was moving below her, steadily getting closer to the vertical shaft she was braced in.

Because of her position she was unable to look down. She could do nothing but listen and wait, holding her breath so as not to give her position away via sound.

As the…whatever it was…moved directly beneath her a smell wafted up the shaft. Not an unpleasant odor per se, but a distinct one that was a mix of old leather and rich earth. It did not seem inclined to climb the shaft and continued on its way, the rustling sounds slowly growing fainter. After a few moments she let out her breath, and slowly continued to inch her way down.

The unknown intruder had come from the east and gone west. As Shepard reached the bottom of the shaft she slid her feet east, edging her head and torso into the western shaft. At least this way she'd be facing it if it decided to come back her direction. The walls of the vent here bore distinct marks of something pushing its way along. Shining her light ahead she could not see the mysterious invader, but rather a juncture.

Moving forward once again, as stealth as she was able, she reached the juncture and examined it. The markings continued to the north. To the south, the dust was undisturbed. Risking it, she touched her ear-bud.

"This is Shepard. I'm at a north-south juncture, plain in both directions. I'm heading north. Everything still secure?"

_{Understood Commander,}_ Tali answered. _{Yes, everything is five-by. The fire is slowly starting to die down but there have been no more signs of the geth.}_

"Good. Shepard out."

Shifting north she followed the marks on the walls, and after only a few more yards the air began to cool and freshen…not in a way that spoke of an opening onto the outside, but more likely an end into an environmentally controlled room. Fixing her light ahead she grimaced. A vent was nearby but was not intact. It had been wrenched off its hinges, showing darkness beyond. Inching up to it, she saw a strange viscous substance clinging to the bent metal.

Wrinkling her nose she shaded her light, and carefully peered out of the broken vent.

It was a room, a small one by the look. Some kind of monitoring station. An empty chair sat at a dimly lit console, and dirty windows lined two of the walls. On the third, a door stood half open.

There was no sign of life.

Edging out of the vent she crouched on the floor a moment, before peeking around the open door. A much wider, darker room was beyond. Carefully easing the door shut she touched the button on the console to shift the windows, make them opaque. That done she waited a minute or two before touching her ear-bud, attempting to access the console to determine where she was. The HI interface was dead.

"Shepard here. I'm in. Can't determine where, looks like the computer is down. Garage or hanger has to be near here, I'm pretty close to the outside wall. I'm going to have to take a look around."

_{Ten-four.}_

Drawing her pistol she moved back to the door, edged it open. Holding it in such a way that her omni-light directed exactly where her shots would go, she carefully swept the room beyond. Silent and empty of life, she grinned as her light passed over several dusty shapes.

She was _exactly_ where she wanted to be; the facility's private garage. Moving down to the maintenance floor she looked over the vehicles before selecting a CAT. Smaller than the one they'd had to destroy, it had no turret and would only barely fit the three of them. Still, it was quiet and unobtrusive, and they didn't have far to go.

She did have a problem, however. With the computers down the garage door would not open. Hunting carefully for an access box so she could override it manually, she heard that sound again. Immediately she sheltered behind one of the snow-bikes, switched off her omni-light and waited.

Whatever it was sounded sizable…larger than would have fit in that vent. Faint wafts of that same leather, earthy smell floated to her and she kept silent. It was on the far side of the room, and thanks to the darkness and the silent shapes of the other vehicles she could not see what it was. After a short time the sounds and smell both faded, and instinct once again told her she was alone.

She was about to reignite her omni-tool when one of the inner doors swung brazenly open. This time, she recognized the sounds…high-pitched chittering and humming that was distinctive to the geth.

Seeing a light crawl across a wall she risked a peek around the bike's bumper. It was a single unit, a trooper…no doubt a routine patrol.

_This is a corporate research facility, there should be dozens if not hundreds of people here. If the geth are patrolling so openly…_

The unit didn't seem alarmed, but he was getting closer. Shepard had her pistol but couldn't risk firing on him. The sound might alert others if they were nearby, and unless she got off a perfect shot, he might have time to alert the others via shortwave. No, the gun wasn't an option. She had to take him out quickly and quietly.

Silently she reached down, easing the blade from the inside of her boot. Gauging the unit's progress she eased around the bike just as its light passed over where she had been hidden. Creeping around until she was directly behind it, her eyes fell on the juncture of the neck, just above its shoulders.

Gripping the knife firmly in one hand, the palm of the other braced on its butt, she rammed the blade firmly in the juncture. It took far more force than it would have to pierce an organics' neck, but expecting that she had thrown all her strength into the blow.

The trooper gave a single whine, a spit of sparks brushing heat across her face for a breath before the synthetic sagged to the ground. Ripping the knife out she tucked it away, then quickly picked up the geth's weapon. Staying silent for a few minutes she reassured herself no other units had been alerted, then slung the rifle she'd taken on her back. She had to hurry. There was no telling when another patrol would come through, or if the other geth would send a search party out to see why this one didn't make its next checkpoint in time.

Dragging the trooper out of sight behind the bike, she wondered at how light it was. Heavier, of course, than an organic of its same size but much lighter than she was expecting. Secreting it away, she quickly located the access box and rigged it to open the garage doors via her omni-tool.

Glad to see the mini-CAT was also climate controlled and she was in no danger of freezing to death on the way back, as Liara had feared, Shepard was soon out in the blizzard once again, heading back along the thin road toward the tunnel.

* * *

><p>Though the fire had died somewhat, the tunnel was comfortably warm, at least here where they were sitting. Every few moments Tali did a full sweep with her omni-tool, looking for any sign that more geth would be appearing. Liara alternated between peering nervously toward the distant vent opening, and watching the slowly dying flames.<p>

"Tali," Liara said after a long stretch of silence, glancing over at the quarian. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course," the quarian replied, finishing her scan and settling back a little.

"What…do you think of the commander?"

"Shepard?" Tali asked, more out of surprise than clarification. "Well, she saved my life. And I don't think I would like getting on her bad side, if you know what I mean."

"Yes," Liara agreed. "Some of the things she does…are frightening. She has a very distinct point of view and when she has made a decision, there is no question in her mind. She goes forward without hesitation, without fear, even if it means she might be killed."

"Well, I don't know if she does it without _fear_," Tali replied thoughtfully. "She's not synthetic, after all."

"No, she is not," Liara murmured. Tali inclined her head.

"Why are you asking? Just out of curiosity."

"Oh…n-no reason…"

Tali smirked, though it was hidden behind her helmet. "Shepard is right, you are a terrible liar," she stated with amusement. "I know you are older in years than I am but I have done the math…given the length of our life-spans and the rate at which our people mature, we are more or less the exact same age. So if you're afraid I won't understand or something-"

"It is not that," Liara mumbled. "I…do not make friends easily. I have always been comfortable in my own company. Even as a child, I kept to myself rather than play with the other children. I preferred to have my nose in a book than anything else. Truth be told I am not sure how to articulate what I mean to myself, let alone to another."

"Well, let me help then," Tali replied. "Let's see. You have been spending an awful lot of time in her company. I know you're helping her with those visions she's had from the beacon. Of the entire crew you probably know her the best. She saved your life just like she saved mine…I'd be silly if I said I didn't have some small measure of hero-worship just because of that, so you probably do to. And since you've been helping her…it would be natural to have a bit of ban-chi as well."

"Ban…chi?" Liara asked, puzzled. The translator didn't seem to know what to make of that word.

"Ban-chi…it is a term among quarians. It is…we've noticed that sometimes, medics and doctors develop _attachments_ to their patients. There is an old saying 'you cannot hate something if you've fought to save its life.' This is kind of along those lines, but more than just 'not hating'…an affection develops. Ban-chi. She saved your life so you have some hero-worship, and you have been helping her sort out that alien information in her brain, so…ban-chi."

"I see."

"Being as you're not used to having friends, to feeling this kind of affection, you're confused because of it. Makes sense to me."

"So…you are saying that…that this strange _attachment_ I feel for the commander is nothing more than my gratitude for her saving my life, and sympathetic affection for the help that I am providing to her? That…this is what it feels like to have a friend?"

"Sure," Tali replied. "Like I said, you know her better than anyone else on the crew, right?"

"Goddess," Liara put her hand to her forehead. "I am more confused than before."

Tali laughed. "Sorry, I am not much help. Like I said, we're about the same age, and I'm hardly experienced in these kinds of things. My advice? Don't overanalyze. One thing I've noticed about you, Liara, is that you think too much. Sometimes it's ok to just…let things fall where they may. Shepard is your friend. It's all right to say it, to have one. Go ahead. Say it."

"Shepard…is my friend."

"See? No bruises, no spontaneous bleeding."

Liara grinned a little. "No."

"There you are then. Shepard is your friend."

"Shepard is my friend," Liara stated with a bit more authority.

"There's hope for you yet," Tali giggled. Suddenly a voice filled both women's ears.

_{This is Shepard. I have left the facility and am heading toward the tunnel. ETA about five minutes.}_

"Roger that, Shepard," Liara replied with some relief. Tali reached over and pat her knee, before she got to her feet.

"C'mon. That's our signal that our rest break is over. Time to earn our paycheck again."

* * *

><p>Snow had drifted into the garage through the open door, hissing along the concrete in thin sheets of white, brushing unnoticed past the feet of the geth. Half a dozen had gathered in the garage, lights crawling through the darkness. They had been drawn by their mysteriously missing compatriot…the oddly open garage door.<p>

A growling roar drew the lights toward the open door, and like a beast pouncing out of the night, the mini-CAT roared in at full speed. It slammed into one trooper, knocking its feet out from under it and grinding it under its treads. Crushed electronics spit fire as it died, white coolant spurting out across the gray floor.

As the CAT skidded in, dancing to the left, it swept up another trooper, slamming it against the wall as it crashed to a halt.

The trooper, pinned from the waist down, had dropped its weapon. Squealing wildly, it was attempting to extricate its half-crushed form from between vehicle and concrete as the door to the mini-CAT popped open. Shepard emerged, pistol already out. With a single pop, the trapped geth's head exploded and it sagged, limp.

"T'Soni!"

The air seemed to ripple in a shockwave, blue light flaring in a wall between the remaining synthetics and the mini-CAT as the geth opened fire. Flashes of blue lightning sparked as the bullets struck the energy and dissolved. Climbing fully from the CAT, Liara thrust her uplifted hands forward, and the wall rushed toward the geth, slamming them back into the vehicles behind them.

As they collapsed or struggled to keep their balance, Tali and Shepard opened fire and took them out for good.

"Nice work," Shepard told her two companions as silence once again filled the garage. "Computer's down and this part of the facility at least seems to be running on minimal emergency power only. There's no telling where the staff is, but my bet is either dead, holed up somewhere, or being held prisoner. Keep your wits sharp and let's take this one step at a time."

Weapons ready, the trio approached the door into the facility proper, clearing the hallway beyond before proceeding. A security door lay at the end, locked open. Its twin lay a dozen feet further on, also locked open. Between the two, a wicked looking pair of E35 security turrets were pointed firmly at the inner door, away from the garage.

"That's…strange," Liara said, eyeing the dead turrets in confusion. "Are they not pointed in the wrong direction?"

Shepard nodded grimly. "Looks like they're trying to keep their people _in_, more than keep others out."

A small security room lay just beyond but they had no more luck with the computer there than she'd had in the garage. With no choice but to continue on, Shepard was a bit surprised to note they had come across no more geth. She'd expected the whole facility to be crawling.

Not daring to let her guard down just for a moment, she kept at point, edging down each hallway and turn with decided caution, clearing every corner and doorway as she proceeded. Most of the doors were locked down. Those that were open showed only empty, hastily evacuated rooms.

It wasn't until they reached the cafeteria that the trouble really began. The door was half open as they approached it, and frigid gusts of wind seeped through the gap. Shepard gestured at Tali, who forced the door the rest of the way while Shepard kept her covered, weapon fixed on the room beyond.

A set of grand windows spanned the entire western wall, and it seemed most had been broken. Snow had drifted into the room, eager to claim the space as its own. Tables were overturned, chairs scattered, scorches and holes in the wall telling of some fire-fight…but there were no bodies that could be seen.

As Shepard stepped in she heard the tell-tale whining chitter of geth, and quickly gestured at the others. As a pair of troopers entered at the lower level the three women opened fire.

These two did not go down as easily as the first set in the garage. They seemed more savvy, quickly finding cover behind the large concrete pillars that centered the room. Shepard ordered the other two into cover and then found some of her own, stowing her pistol in favor of her small sniper.

"Liara, the one on the left. There's a table directly behind it," she barked as she focused her scope on the one on the right. It was doing well at staying hidden, and she couldn't get a bead. There was the distinctive pulse of biotics and the first geth was crushed as Liara sent the table slamming into it, forcing it into the wall.

"Tali, cover me!"

Shepard darted forward just as the geth leaned out to fire. Tali's shot skipped off its chest-plate, damaging it but not penetrating enough to put it down. The impact was enough to make it duck backward again without letting off a shot, and by the time it recovered it was too late. Shepard's shot exploded the side of its neck and shoulders and as it fell, she pinned it down with a foot and fired into its head.

Stepping back away from the still sparking ruin, she looked over as Tali and Liara ran up.

"Five by?" she asked, looking over the pair.

"Fine," Tali panted.

"No injuries, commander," Liara agreed. "I do think I am getting the hang of-"

There was the faint squeal of metal, and a strange rustling sound. Immediately all three weapons were up, the trio instinctively putting their backs to each other as they scanned over the room.

"What was that?" Tali whispered.

"Animals maybe?" Liara shook her head. "With the windows open who knows what wildlife has sought refuge in here from the blizzard."

With her helmet now on, Shepard couldn't tell if the smell was back, but that sound was more than familiar.

"When I was in the vent, something passed nearby," she said to the other two. "I didn't see it but it sounded just like that."

"One of those leaping sniper geth?" Tali asked. "Maybe it was clearing the vents."

"Maybe, but there was a smell to it too…something distinctly organic."

Something fairly heavy crashed. All three weapons snapped around that direction. Just above a short set of stairs, she saw something move.

"Steady," she whispered, a breath before she heard Liara suck in a startled breath.

A shape loomed over the staircase. The dim light shimmered off a dark brown carapace, glimmered off tiny black eyes. Claws and mandibles clicked eagerly as a pair of deadly looking appendages rose into the air, pointing toward the women as if targeting them.

For a single beat, the three women and the gigantic bug regarded one another, those appendages dancing like cobras ready to strike. Then the thing hissed, claws and jaws flying open as it rushed down the stairs toward them with remarkable speed.

Tali and Liara needed no urging. All three guns ignited at the same moment, as if on cue. The hard carapace cracked and split open, spilling black ichor on the ground as the creature let out an ear-piercing shriek. One of the appendages darted forward, whipping a set of deadly spines not three feet away from where they stood.

Still moving as one, Shepard, Liara, and Tali took a single step backward. Liara's hand lifted, wreathed in blue, and the bug thing reeled up off its legs, half-lifting from the ground. Tali and Shepard focused their fire on its underbelly and it exploded open, spilling ichor and viscera in a thick jelly on the ground. As Liara let it drop, the creature incredibly tried to get up again, spurting thin shots of ichor from its mandibles before it finally fell still. Warily approaching it, never taking her weapon off of it, Shepard nudged it with a foot.

"What _is_ this thing?" Tali asked.

"Biggest damn cockroach I ever saw," Shepard growled.

"I do not think this is native to Noveria, at least not this region," Liara noted, crouching and reaching out a hand to touch the broken carapace.

"Tianlán, _be careful_," Shepard snapped.

"How do you know it's not native?" Tali wanted to know.

"It is not built for this climate or this altitude," Liara noted. "It shares a distinct evolutionary similarity to ancient verso crabs from Thessia, or the klexin from Tuchanka. It is better suited for a far more temperate, arid location."

"So someone brought it here then. Fantastic," Shepard shook her head. "As if the _geth_ weren't enough to worry about. All right, we have to keep moving. These things were moving through the vents so chances are they're going to be everywhere. This may have been the only one but I'm not banking on it. One surefire assumption with bugs…if you see one there's a thousand you don't see."

"This is fascinating, Shepard." Liara was still crouched, examining the dead insect. "I wish I had proper time to dissect and compare with the known fossil records of-"

"Focus, or we're going to become _part_ of the fossil record. We have to keep moving."

"I…of course. I'm sorry," Liara straightened, readying her weapon again.

Leaving the broken corpse behind they continued on.

* * *

><p>"Who are you again?" Ventralis was tired and irritated, and in no mood for this bullshit. Leaning over the console he glared at the image of the woman there.<p>

"Gellian Osco," she replied. "I am entering atmosphere. I need you to open docking bay 211."

"Are you insane? That's a class nine blizzard out there. You're in a phase four shuttle. Lady, you are going to end up smeared over the side of the mountain if you even _try_ to dock here."

"That's my concern, not yours."

"It becomes my concern if the matriarch finds out," he retorted. "She said you might show up. Said you might even be crazy enough to try and land. She was very specific in her request that I keep you out."

"Ventralis, you're a busy man so I'm only going to say this once more. Open 211. If you don't, I'm going to be significantly more pissed with you when I land than I am already."

He blinked. She couldn't be serious? From what he understood, this Osco was a geneticist. He was a trained soldier with an entire platoon at his heels, in a secure base she couldn't hope to access unless he opened the doors for her. Even if he met her face to face on some distant day, what was she going to do…slap him? He was a bit more worried about Benezia stripping off his skin with some biotic blast-wave than he ever would be of _this_ haughty little bitch.

"Yeah, good luck with that. Be a smart girl and go back to orbit before you hurt yourself. Ventralis out."

He snapped off the communication with a grunt of irritation. He half-hoped she tried to land anyway, she'd make a nice new crater in the side of the mountain. Even if by some miracle she did make it down without killing herself, she'd never-

His thought was interrupted by one of his privates trotting up, tossing off a quick salute. "Captain, we've got action on the computer core in the primary facility. Someone is trying to get MIRI back on line."

"_What_? There shouldn't be anyone alive in that facility. Who?"

"Unknown sir, but the geth patrols in that sector have gone silent."

"Shit. It's that Spectre, Shepard…has to be. Somehow she got through to the primary facility. Report this to Benezia. See what she wants me to do if Shepard gets this far."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

><p>Tali's hand reached out of the core access. Shepard quickly crouched and caught hold of it, helping the quarian up and out. "Any luck?"<p>

"I managed to access the main computer core," Tali reported, slightly out of breath. "I could not pull much with most of the systems still off-line, but it seems there was some kind of disaster at the lab facility. The entire place went on lockdown and then power and communications were cut as a safety measure."

"Well, whatever is in that lab facility is what Saren and the geth are after," Shepard said. "Could you get a map of the terrain?"

"Yes, I managed to access blue-prints. There is a tram that connects this facility with the labs. I was able to get enough power diverted that way to run it, so we should be able to reach the labs fairly quickly."

"All right, excellent job Tali."

Tali pulled up the blue-prints and projected them via her omni-tool. Shepard regarded the 3D image hanging in the air in front of her, then pointed. "Looks like this is the most direct way to the tram from here. Let's get moving."

Liara swallowed back her nerves as they moved on. Truth be told, she was not all that fond of bugs. Not that she would shriek or run away from them…one did not become an archaeologist if one was utterly terrified of insects or invertebrates, as most digs were crawling with both…but they were not her most favorite creatures. Imagining them moving through the ductwork, ready to pop out and attack at any moment was putting her on edge.

The nearing confrontation with her mother, as well, was not helping.

_For all you know, your mother may already be dead. There was some sort of disaster, after all. She could have been caught up in it. Or she could already be off-world._

"Oh, Keelah…" Tali's groan brought her attention back to reality. They had reached the contamination lock between the facility and the tram. Through a nearby observation window it was plain to see several of those giant 'cockroaches,' as Shepard had called them, moving about the chamber…a chamber they had to pass through to reach their destination.

"Well, that's interesting," Shepard said dryly, then leaned closer to the glass, peering in at the things. One, seeing or sensing her there, displayed aggressively. Thanks to the airtight chamber they could hear no sound, but Liara could imagine its angry hissing shriek easily enough.

"How do we get through?" Liara asked. "The doors won't open so long as they are in there."

"Most decontamination chambers are equipped with elimination measures, to prevent contaminated individuals from entering a sterile location," Tali told her.

"I guess if anyone knows anything about decontamination it's you," Shepard nodded.

"Indeed. We just need to find the control panel and activate the fail-safes."

She was already off, quickly finding the small control room and wiring its computer in to the renewed power grid. The HI flickered slowly to life, then brightened. "Ah, yes, indeed. I can initiate a burn of nearly five thousand degrees within the chamber. They will be completely incinerated, and the doors should unlock."

"Do it," Shepard ordered, watching through the window implacably as flames suddenly jetted into the chamber, consuming the insects. Liara, despite disliking bugs in general and knowing that such an action was more than necessary, couldn't help a little grimace of distaste, averting her eyes.

"You ok?" Shepard asked.

"I know it is necessary, but watching living creatures die like that…it is one thing when they can fight back. It is another to watch them helpless and trapped."

"You got a good heart, T'Soni. Don't ever lose it."

Liara looked at Shepard, brows wrinkling as she took in her expression. "You…do not think that _you_ have a good heart?" she asked.

Shepard shrugged. "Seen too much death. You look in that chamber and you feel sorry for them because they're trapped. I look in there and I just think 'better them than me.'"

The jets of fire slowed, and then stopped. They had burned so hot that only ash remained behind…ash the air purification filters quickly sucked in and eliminated. With a beep, the chamber door green-lighted.

Liara followed silently as Shepard opened the door and proceeded onward, Tali falling in behind her. She did not buy what the commander had just said. Yes, Shepard had seen much death in her life…yes, perhaps her thoughts were 'better them than me'… but Liara did believe she had a good heart. She put her life on the line to protect her crew. Time and again Liara had seen her stand up for those who could not do so for themselves. Williams had told her how Shepard had helped a human man on the Citadel, when the Alliance had attempted to hold his wife's body rather than return it. That was not the action of someone truly cruel and cold inside.

_She has learned to be cruel and cold when she needs to, to distance herself from what is happening, but that is not who she is. I know it is not. _

The tram would take fifteen minutes to reach the labs. Once the car was clear and activated, Shepard sat down on the cushioned bench, unfastening her helmet and drawing it off. Liara also pulled hers off, grateful for the momentary reprieve of its weight. Setting it on the bench nearby, she sat down as well. Tali remained toward the front, fiddling with the tram controls.

"Being a soldier…it is exhausting," Liara murmured, suddenly feeling the weight of weariness behind her eyes. How long had it been since they had stepped off the _Normandy_? Hours, easily. It felt like weeks.

Shepard chuckled a little. "Welcome to the downside of adrenaline, Tianlán. Eventually it wears off."

"I wanted to thank you again. For bringing me along, I mean, for not sending me back to the ship when you found out Benezia was here."

"You deserve the chance to talk to her," Shepard shrugged. "Get answers. Get closure, maybe. Not everyone is that lucky."

"I do not know if I would quantify it as 'luck'," Liara said softly. "I am dreading seeing her, very much. I am dreading it even more that she may leave us no choice but to…take permanent measures."

"Trust me, Liara. No matter what someone does, if you care about them and you don't get that chance to-…well, let's just say regret is a tenacious companion."

Liara frowned a little. Sha'ira had said much the same thing, about regret.

"You are talking about that boy, aren't you?" Liara murmured softly. "Your friend."

"Yeah," Shepard said, and then shook her head. "Let's not talk about that right now. This is hardly the best place."

"Yes, of course. We must keep our minds on recreation."

"We…_what_?" Shepard asked, blinking at her in confusion.

"K-keep our minds on recreation," Liara said tentatively. "I…thought I heard that human term before, about how one must stay focused on one's objective."

Shepard's lopsided grin made an appearance. "I think you mean, 'keep our heads in the game'," she said, catching on.

"Oh, yes…yes, that was it. How silly of me."

As she looked down at her hands in her lap, she could feel her cheeks heating again.

"You know, you blush a lot, T'Soni," Shepard teased lightly, leaning over just far enough to bump her shoulder against the asari's.

"I did not used to until recently," Liara explained. "This…awkwardness with others is unfortunate. I did not think being…social…was important as a child or even until recently. It was naïve of me."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're getting it. And you're not nearly as silly as you think you are."

"Perhaps not. Nevertheless, I feel very silly arou…at _times_. I suppose I just have not finished adjusting."

"Just remember, you're smarter than half the crew combined. You got nothing to apologize to them or anyone else about."

"We are approaching the lab facility," Tali interrupted. Shepard nodded and got to her feet, picking up her helmet.

"C'mon, T'Soni. I get the feeling we're in for more adrenaline."

* * *

><p>"Lower those weapons!" Ventralis barked at his men, as he strode through the lounge. Not that it resembled a lounge much anymore. The chairs and low sofas had been unbolted from the floor and turned over, stacked to form barricades. Vending machines, raided and emptied of their wares, had also been wrenched from the walls to further reinforce them.<p>

Dozens of guns were focused from behind those barricades onto the trio of women that cautiously entered, their own weapons lifted. On Ventralis's bark, his men relaxed, turning their guns away.

"You always greet people this way?" the woman in the lead asked. Though he could not see her face, Ventralis knew this was Shepard. He would have known even if she wasn't wearing an Alliance hard suit emblazoned with N7 on the shoulders.

The other two, one most likely an asari, the other unmistakably a quarian, were clearly not true soldiers. Though their stances told they were capable of defending themselves, they were not the postures of trained professionals.

_Shepard is the one to worry about_, he thought, before inclining his head toward the three.

"People, no. Sorry about that, we're never sure these days what's going to stick its ugly mug in here. Geth, bugs…though we were banking on geth this time. If those bugs learn to hack an elevator we're in serious shit."

With guns no longer pointed in her direction, Shepard lowered her pistol, then removed her helmet. She was younger than he was expecting, her dark hair plastered to her temples and cheeks with sweat and dust. Her brown eyes were almost black, watchful…the eyes of someone who did not trust easily, someone dangerous.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?" she asked. "What happened to the labs?"

"Not entirely sure," he said, stepping up and offering his hand. She took it but only after a microscopic pause, her eyes never leaving his. It was almost disconcerting. "Captain Ventralis. My team is the security force for Peak 15. Few days ago something broke loose from one of the hot labs. These bug things…no idea what they are, and by the time we realized what had happened, they'd slaughtered most of the civilians. Next thing we know, power and the computer's gone and we're fighting for our lives."

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "We got the surviving civilians holed up in the common area outside the infirmary, and we've been trying to keep this position secure. Every time we try and contact the outside we get a goddamn _'please stand by'_ message. Until that matriarch showed up we thought we were on our own…not that she's been much help."

"Benezia," Shepard stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. One of the major stockholders, Saren Arterius, sent her to help contain the problem. She breezed through, headed toward the hot labs without so much as a word, and next thing I know we got geth coming out of every crack in the wall right along with the bugs."

"We've taken out everything behind us, back to the other facility. You have no idea what these bugs are? Where they came from?"

Ventralis shook his head. "Probably some genetic experiment. The corporations here are so hard-set on their secrets, they don't tell us grunts anything. And there's no real sanctions or regulations here as to what they can research…which is why they come to Noveria to begin with. Who knows what's in those hot labs? We can't get in and ain't no one come out since the bugs showed up…not even that matriarch. She's been down there for days."

"I need to get into those labs."

"You're suicidal," he said, voice both astonished and exhausted at the same time. "We've seen hundreds of these bug-things. There's probably a thousand more down there, along with who knows _what_ else."

"Benezia went down there, and I need to find her. I need access to those labs."

He glowered, then shrugged. "No skin off my nose, you wanna get yourself killed. It's going to take me a bit to get you access. The locks have a dozen damn fail-safes that all need to be manually overridden. As soon as we let the matriarch down we locked it up again. We'll do the same after you, just so you know. If you wanna come back through, you're gonna have to clear the lockdown from the inside. Shouldn't be too hard but unless you clear the lockdown no one's letting you out. Just so we're clear."

"Crystal," she answered. "How long until you can let us in?"

"Twenty, maybe thirty minutes. I'll have my boys start on it right now. In the mean time, the civvies are back that way. There's a little food, some medics. Might as well regroup before you head into hell, right?"

* * *

><p>The reflection in the mirror glared grimly back at Shepard as she regarded it. Leaning over the sink of the lavatory, she watched the tiny beads of water she'd splashed over her face gather and roll down her cheeks. Her hair was still dusty from the tunnels.<p>

Taking up another handful of water she splashed her face again, finger combing her hair back and spreading some damp on the back of her neck.

Ventralis hadn't been lying when he said the group of civvies was small. Only a dozen remained out of the hundred or more who had worked at Peak 15. Most were shell-shocked, sitting and staring into space. A few were wounded, being treated by the single doctor on hand. All had that thousand yard stare of a mind too overloaded with exhaustion and stress to function.

Food was indeed scarce, and the civvies being far more in need of it than they were, the three from the _Normandy_ had only indulged in water and some energy pills from the doc. He offered them stims as well, but it'd be a cold day for certain before Shepard ever took any of that shit.

_Cold day, hmm? There is a blizzard outside, you know._

She smirked wryly at her reflection.

Liara and Tali were both still out with the civvies. Liara had seemed to latch on to a volus who seemed even more traumatized than the others. He told the asari how he had seen one of his co-workers slaughtered by a bug, because he had closed the tram door on her. She'd been torn apart because he had not let her in…but of course, they both would have been killed if he _had_.

Liara, forever empathetic, remained at the volus's side, listening to him and murmuring softly in return.

Tali, unable to sit still and a techie to the core, busied herself by fiddling with the small medi-comp, trying to get it back online. The doctor had run out of the small emergency packets of medi-gel. If she could get the computer running again, he could produce more, and more properly diagnose the wounded.

"You know, I was expecting someone taller."

Shepard's eyes shifted to the asari as she entered the small bathroom, two human men on her heels. She had seen the asari when they'd first come in, sitting off by herself, apparently meditating. The human men had been against the wall nearby, looking as haggard and shocked as the rest of them. They did not look even _remotely_ traumatized now.

Shepard did not need her instincts to know a serious mess was about to go down. It was more than obvious in the way the asari smiled at her in the mirror, eyes as intent as a snake about to strike. As soon as the last man entered he turned and locked the door, sealing it with his omni-tool.

Shepard didn't turn around, still leaning on the sink with her eyes locked to the other woman's reflection.

"You'd be surprised how often I hear that," she said calmly. "I'm really not short. Five foot seven is a fairly common height among human females."

"It's your vids," the asari woman replied. "They always show you from such grandiose angles. Media hype, I suppose."

"I have vids?" Shepard asked.

"Do you not keep in touch with the extranet? Earth media? The first human Spectre, you're something of a celebrity on your home world, Commander. You did not know?"

"Been kind of busy," she said with a shrug.

"Understandable. Would you mind turning around? I would prefer not to shoot you in the back."

"Honestly, I would prefer not being shot at _all_, back or front," Shepard replied, making no move to turn. "Walk out that door, or I'm going to have to kill you."

"You took off your weapon pack, and most of your hard suit, left them out with your friends," the asari pointed out with amusement. "You have no guns, no armor, no shields. We have all three, not to mention my biotics. It's actually kind of surprising. An Alliance marine and a Spectre leaving herself so vulnerable and unarmed."

"All right then. I warned you." Shepard sighed faintly. "You couldn't let me goddamn _relax_ for half an hour?"

With a dart, she suddenly leapt away from the sink toward the nearest open toilet stall. Instantly the three assassins opened fire, the sink denting under the barrage. Tile crumbled as the bullets chewed threw it, the mirror shattering in a low boom of glass. The deadly rain trailed after her, narrowly missing her as she dove into the stall, immediately sliding under the partition into the second one and then the third as the first was swiss-cheesed.

The asari was smart. In a breath she crouched, sweeping her shot underneath the stall doors just as Shepard ripped off a toilet seat, leaping up onto the edge of the bowl and away from the line of fire. Pipes exploded and began to rain water as she kicked the stall door, slamming it into the first human man and sending him backward.

Holding the horse-shoe shaped toilet seat by the ends, Shepard whipped it over the head of the second man, yanking him backward into the stall and then twisting it. There was a horrible crunch as his neck broke, and she planted a boot in his chest, shoving him back out toward the open room. The asari fired at him instinctively, then cursed, turning her weapon toward the stall again.

Something else flew out of it as she began to depress the trigger, smacking her in the forehead. It had moved much too slowly to ignite her shields, and the impact with her head was soft and barely noticeable save to startle her. Blinking in shock at the roll of paper that thumped to the ground and began to unravel, her face darkened.

"You threw the _bog roll_ at me?"

Shepard's laugh echoed through the room and the asari bore her teeth, raking the entire row of toilet stalls with a sweep of her machine rifle. Metal bent and tore, tile shattered, more pipes erupted, sending plumes of water high into the air.

Reaching the end of the stalls with no sign of the human marine, she lifted a hand wreathed in blue fire. Pushing forward and then pulling back, two of the stalls warped and pulled apart, the abused doors flying across the room before crashing to the ground.

No Shepard.

Reaching out to clear the other two stalls she jolted in shock as an arm whipped around from behind, hooking her gun arm and wrenching it back.

_How did she get behind me?_

As she twisted to aim a biotic punch at the human woman Shepard wrenched again, twisting her arm at the elbow where the armor joint was weaker. Though the bone did not break it made her howl in pain. She lost her balance, started to fall forward only to be propelled faster with a hand on the back of her head. Her face met a knee, her nose exploding in a white hot aura of agony. She vaguely felt her gun wrench away as she collapsed onto the cold tile floor, struggling to breathe through the wash of blood filling her sinuses and throat.

Shepard straddled the dazed asari, one hand plastering over her bleeding face and hauling her head back as the other drew the knife from her boot. With a swift motion she cut the assassin's throat, then let her head drop.

"Marines _never_ go unarmed, you stupid _bitch_," she grumped down at the woman as she straightened. A lake of blue was spreading out beneath her, threading through the tiles.

Suddenly Shepard became aware of the thumping on the door, the muffled shouts from outside. Wiping her knife off on her hip she put it back in her boot, pulling out the dead woman's pistol before stepping over her.

The human merc she'd slammed with the stall door was moving weakly, barely conscious. She shot him in the head as she passed by, then tossed the pistol disdainfully to the ground.

She turned toward the door just as Tali opened the jammed lock. It had barely slid open than Liara was bursting through, glowing blue with biotics, the quarian on her heels with weapon drawn.

Seeing Shepard standing there, dead bodies scattered at her feet, the women halted and stared.

"What…what _happened_?" Tali gasped.

Had it been a bar fight, had the three forms scattered on the floor only been unconscious, bruised and battered, Shepard might have tossed off some smart-ass quip as she strode out. Something like, _They didn't wash their hands. I _hate _that._

But it wasn't a bar fight, and they weren't unconscious, and she was pissed as hell that she couldn't even get _five damn minutes_ to decompress without someone trying to take her head off. So her reply was less than amused.

"It seems Benezia has taken a great deal of _exception_ to us being here," she grumped.

"They…_Benezia _sent them?" Liara whispered, breathless with shock.

"Well, I didn't exactly stop and _ask_ them the specifics," Shepard told her. "But I think it's a safe bet, don't you?"

Striding off between the two, past the one or two civvies still together enough to have been drawn by the ruckus, she reached her weapon pack and the rest of her hard-suit, and began to pull them back on.

"Shepard, you're not hurt?" Tali asked, trotting over to her.

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding," the quarian said, pointing at her face. Shepard lifted a hand, felt a faint sting as she touched her cheek. A shard of one of the shattering tiles or the mirror had grazed her.

"It's just a scratch, it's nothing. Did you get the medi-comp back online?"

"Y-yes, I think so. It just needs some adjustments-"

"Then _adjust it_. Ventralis should have the hot labs unlocked in the next few minutes, and we'll be moving out."

"Yeah, o-okay…yes, ma'am…" Tali turned and headed back to the medi-comp. As she did Shepard looked back toward the lavatory.

Liara stood near the door, arms folded around herself and looking toward the volus who was slumped in one corner. Shepard snapped on the last of her hard suit and walked over. Without looking at her, Liara spoke in a low, trembling voice.

"I am sorry that Benezia-"

"_Stop_ that," Shepard replied, her voice just as low. "_Benezia_ did it, _not you_. As you so vehemently pointed out when we first met, you are _not_ your mother."

Liara's eyes finally shifted and Shepard could see the simmering anger deep inside their blue. It seemed so out of place there.

"I do not understand her, Shepard. I do not understand what she has become. I hate-…I _hate_ what she has become, what she is doing. How could she have changed so much? We did not agree but she was not…she did not even raise her _voice_ to me when I was a child, let alone send assassins to kill my friends!"

Reaching out, Shepard put her hand on Liara's shoulder. "We'll find out, Tianlán."

She could see the tears standing in the asari's eyes, the fury and grief mirrored in their depths. Lowering her head, Liara suddenly stepped forward and hugged Shepard. After a half-breath pause out of startlement, Shepard wound her arms around the asari and hugged her back.

A moment passed, then Liara wordlessly stepped back, wiping a finger discreetly under her eye as she sniffed faintly.

"Thank you," she murmured, and then moved off toward the bench again. Shepard watched her go, then noticed Tali was looking at her from over by the computer. Seeing the commander notice her, she turned her head and started to work again.

_{Shepard, this is Ventralis. We've got the hot-labs just about open. Might want to start heading back here.}_

Touching her ear-bud Shepard said only, "Understood," before she headed over to the quarian.

"How's it coming?"

"Just finishing up," Tali replied. Shepard nodded.

"Good. And, Tali…I'm sorry that I snapped at you. You didn't deserve it."

"It's all right Commander. Anger is a normal response after a fight. I understand."

"Anger is generally my normal response to most _everything_," Shepard said dryly. "Doesn't mean you deserved to be on the receiving end of it. If you're finished they've got the lockdown about cleared. We should head that way."

"Understood Commander. Is…Liara ok?"

"Her mother just tried to kill me, and we're probably going to have to kill her mother. Would you be ok?"

"Not even remotely," Tali responded honestly. Shepard nodded.

"There you have it. Finish up, Tali. We're heading out."

* * *

><p>Ventralis told them he wouldn't authorize the final unlock until they were at the elevator for the hot labs itself, and that as soon as they were off the lift he was going to reinitialize the lockdown.<p>

Directing them to the elevator he said, "Coming back shouldn't be too hard. At the elevator panel just put in 'lockdown clear authorization 277' and it should let you back upstairs. Remember, ain't a single soul on this end going to clear it for you."

Following his directions they reached the lift, Shepard touching her ear. "We're in position Ventralis. Activate the elevator."

_{Ten four. Opening now. Good luck, Commander.}_

The power light for the lift suddenly flared, and the doors parted. As they stepped inside, Shepard checked her helmet, then looked at the other two.

"We five-by?"

"Good, Commander," Tali replied with a nod.

"Ready, Commander," Liara's response was softer but did not hesitate.

"Weapons up and on that door. There's no telling what we'll be facing the second they open. Be ready for anything."

Guns lifted and primed, focusing on the closed door as the lift slowly dropped downward. A gentle bump and a pleasant toned bell signaled they had reached ground-level. Narrowing her eyes, muscles tensing, Shepard's gloved finger rested lightly on the trigger of her rifle.

The doors slid open.

Tali blinked, straightening a little. "Um…"

"Wasn't expecting that," Shepard murmured, staring into the empty room. Empty, that was, save for powered down computer consoles and a single human man sitting against one wall. His face was pale and haggard underneath disheveled iron gray hair, and he looked up at the three guns pointed at him dispassionately.

"Oh, hello," he murmured dully.

"Clear the room," Shepard ordered, and the two others stepped out, sweeping the room with their weapons. Not that there was much to sweep…a small child could not have hidden themselves in there.

Shepard herself moved forward to the man, gun never leaving its site on his forehead. He merely looked at her, his glazed eyes lost in dark hollows. He did not seem even remotely well. His lips were cracked, his skin sallow.

"You hurt?" she asked.

He chuckled weakly, grimacing a bit as he gingerly moved his hand. She could see the wound on his side beneath it. He'd tried to dress it but it had bled through, and judging by the stains surrounding the black of the caked on blood, it had gotten badly infected.

"You could say that," he replied weakly.

"We'll get you out of here, there's a doctor upstairs."

"I think I'm beyond that. I have been down here for days…no food, barely any water…with this wound festering. I can't even stand up and I'm not entirely sure that you're even real."

Shepard crouched, pointing her weapon to the side and toward the floor. Reaching out she touched his knee. "We're real," she said gently. "And we're going to help you. We will get you to the doctor, get you treated."

"They won't let you," he mumbled, eyes half-lidded.

"Who won't?"

"The Rachni," he replied.

"_Rachni_?" Liara blurted, overhearing as she and Tali drew to a halt behind Shepard. "Is that what those bugs are?"

"I thought the Rachni were extinct," Shepard responded.

"We found a ship, drifting…old, abandoned…inside, there was an egg in some kind of stasis…hibernation. It was brought here. They wanted to see if it would hatch."

"Even if they found a single Rachni egg and managed to hatch it, that doesn't explain all these bugs."

"The egg, it was a queen. She matured fast, started to lay. They thought they could control her…control her and her drones but…they made a mistake, I think. They separated her from the young ones, hoping they would be able to imprint them on those they wanted, rather than the queen. But it didn't work. The young ones went insane. They broke out, killed everyone…"

His glassy eyes started to unfocus as his head tilted forward, regarding his putrid wound. "Killed _me_…"

"Hey, stay with me," Shepard urged, touching his shoulder. "Do you know where Benezia is? Where the queen is?"

"I…do not know a 'Benezia'," he answered, blinking stupidly at her. "The queen…she is kept on the other side of this facility, only the drones were kept here. Look…the window, over there. That was the breeding chamber where they moved the eggs and young ones. Look."

Shepard looked up at Tali, who nodded and paced over to the viewing window he had indicated. Touching the control to fade it from opaque back into transparency, she gasped. "Oh…oh, _Keelah_…"

Rising, Shepard went to her side, and looked through.

The 'breeding' chamber as he had called it, was massive…half the size of the _Normandy_. At one point it had no doubt been organized, sterile, pristine. Now it was nothing but a writhing mass of those bugs, some the size of small horses. Broken vents, cracks in the concrete walls, showed how the smaller ones were escaping into the facility.

There looked to be _thousands_ of them.

"That is going to be a problem…" Shepard whispered as she took in the sight.

"Please, you must listen…"

The man's weak voice drew her attention back. Turning she saw Liara had taken his hand, crouched beside him. Her tired blue eyes turned to Shepard as the commander returned, crouching as well. As she did, the man grasped at her arm.

"There is no hope for me, but the Rachni cannot be allowed to escape. They do not like the cold but they will soon brave it anyway, as soon as the blizzard ends. They will spread all over Noveria, all over the galaxy…and do what they did here. But there is a chance, now, to stop that."

"How? Tell me how."

"There is a small computer connection, linked to MIRI," he gestured to the right. "The power is back on now, so you can access her. Tell her to initiate the neutron purge. It is a failsafe they installed into the breeding room just in case this happened. Activate the purge and everything in that room will be incinerated in seconds with neutron radiation."

"Commander," Tali said, turning from the window. "I can see the neutron chargers in the room, but there is a problem. _This_ room, and probably this whole level, is not shielded. If we set off those chargers anything in here will also die in seconds."

The man shook his head frantically, not releasing Shepard's arm. "The purge is on a countdown, if you activate it you will have a few minutes to get to the elevator and to safety. Please, you must do this. Just activate the computer and insert the code. Here…I have it here…"

As he reached for his shirt pocket something suddenly burst out of his chest, spattering blood over her and Liara's faces. Recoiling instinctively, Shepard barely missed the swiping spines that swept at her, attached to the appendage now waving from the man's torso.

Grabbing Liara Shepard darted backward, pulling out her pistol as the Rachni shoved the now dead civvie out of the way, flinging him across the room. He had, apparently, been sitting against one of the air vents which had been hidden by his body…probably trying to keep warm in his shock. Now the Rachni was forcing its way out of it, hissing furiously at them as it did so.

Gunfire filled the room, and the thing shrieked, its own black ichor bursting outward. Tenacious, it managed to pull most of its body out of the vent , claws waving weakly in their direction, before it collapsed.

"Oh, _Goddess_…" Liara breathed.

"Liara, block that vent," Shepard ordered, and darted for the civvie's broken body, now slumped near the elevator. His chest was almost completely gone, and she could see the torn remains of his stomach and intestines amid shattered daggers of bone. Not pausing, Shepard dug into the pocket he'd been reaching for, pulling out a small data drive.

Immediately turning she headed for the computer console. "Tali, I'm going to activate this purge. Get that elevator unlocked and ready."

The quarian ran for the elevator control as Shepard activated MIRI, the VI for the facility's computer. Programmed to appear as a human female, the shimmering yellow hologram hovered over her head.

"How may I help you?" It queried pleasantly.

A loud scraping turned Shepard's head a moment, as Liara pulled one of the heavy console banks over to block the vent, having dragged the dead Rachni out of the way. Looking back at the VI Shepard ordered, "Activate the neutron purge."

"Please enter command authorization code."

Shepard dropped the data drive into the slot, swiftly pulling up the proper code and inputting it.

"Command authorization code accepted," MIRI chirped. "Neutron purge will initiate in five minutes."

"_Commander_!"

Tali's voice was alarmed. Abandoning MIRI Shepard ran toward her.

"What is it?"

"I cannot override the lockdown. The authorization that Ventralis gave us is no good!"

"_What_? Are you sure you input it correctly?"

"I am positive," she replied quickly, still working frantically. "Given the schematic design the lockdown cannot be overridden _anywhere_ but _outside_ this lab!"

"He lied to us," Shepard growled, furious. "Tali, _please_ tell me you can hack it before that purge hits."

"I'm trying!"

Darting back toward MIRI Shepard ordered the VI, "Cancel the purge!"

"I am sorry, but once activated the neutron purge cannot be cancelled," she replied coolly. "T-minus four minutes and twenty seconds."

"Goddamn _bastard_!" Shepard barked, slamming her fist down on the console.

"I am sorry, that command is not recognized."

"Shepard, I need your help," Liara panted, still trying to muscle the console over. Running to her side, Shepard grabbed hold of the other end and helped her to shove it into place. Just as it reached the wall it suddenly shoved back toward them violently, and with unexpected force. Both women stumbled and fell, and as she hit the ground Shepard could see one of those barbed appendages snaking around the console, heard the eager shriek.

The Rachni were coming.


	7. Chapter 7

Surging back to her feet, Shepard all but tackled the computer console, trying to force it back over the vent. The rachni had got a firm hold on it, however, and pitched it to the side as easily as a human might toss a ball. Shepard sailed along with it, hitting the wall hard enough to bark her air out, even with the hard suit.

As both she and the console crashed to the ground the bug surged out of the vent, only to meet a slam of Liara's biotics. Gasping for breath, Shepard rolled onto her stomach, rifle in hand, and opened fire.

"T-minus three minutes and forty five seconds," MIRI informed cheerfully.

"Tali!" Shepard coughed, getting to her feet as the bug went down. Two more were struggling to escape the vent, their hisses of determination filling the room.

The quarian didn't pause in her work, not even to respond, still frantically trying to get the elevator to unlock.

More gunfire. Chunks of carapace and meat flew around the vent in a rain of ichor as both Shepard and Liara tried to keep the bugs back. Though it was clogging with shredded body parts the rachni that were still alive simply continued to try and push out, forcing the remains of their predecessors out before them.

The cracking of glass turned her head. The rachni in the breeding room, drawn by the gunfire or the screams of their dying brethren, had noticed the windows. Several smaller ones were crawling over them but a larger one had figured out the odd transparency. As Shepard looked, it hit the window again with one of its appendages, the glass crazing wildly.

"_INCOMING_!"

In an explosive shatter, the window gave way and the large rachni thumped to the ground, sweeping toward Liara, who was closer. The asari tried to dance back out of the way, only to slip in the ichor coating the floor. Crashing back to the ground, however, saved her life, as the sweeping spiked appendage cut through the air where her head had been. Shepard's gun ignited and the appendages thumped to the ground, their tenticular supports shredding under the fire. Liara scrambled away, black gore splashing over her as Shepard turned her fire on the bug's eyes.

"_Tali!_!"

"I cannot get it, Shepard! There is no way to bypass the lockdown from here!" The quarian called back, terror in her voice.

"_Get away from the elevator_!"

"T-Minus three minutes and ten seconds," MIRI supplied.

The quarian abandoned the console and joined her gunfire to Liara's as they tried to keep the rachni from swarming in the now broken windows. As soon as she was far enough away from the elevator, Shepard unclipped a grenade from her belt and tossed it into the open car, not daring to halt her own gunfire in the mean-time.

A belch of fire swelled out of the elevator car, shattering the wall holding it into place. The explosion was hard enough to knock all three women down, and Shepard instinctively covered her head with her arm as broken concrete slammed down around them. One particularly large chunk crushed one of the smaller bugs as it made it past the window. The remaining rachni seemed slightly startled by the blast and recoiled a little, back into the breeding room.

Getting to her feet, Shepard immediately gripped Liara, hauling her to her feet and shoving her toward the now ruined elevator car. "Go!"

Pulling Tali up similarly, the three women limped back toward the elevator just as the rachni regrouped, started trying to climb in again.

"Cover me!"

As Tali and Liara lay down cover fire, Shepard turned toward the car, climbing over the debris and peering upward.

As she had hoped, the explosion had peeled the top layers of the elevator like a tin can. Beyond it she could see the shaft rising upward to a set of shielded blast doors, not twenty feet above them. There was no access ladder, but the design of the shaft itself offered foot and hand holds.

Turning back to the other two she grabbed Liara's arm just as MIRI informed they had only two minutes and thirty seconds left.

"Go, up the elevator shaft," she shouted. "Tali! Up the shaft! Get started on those blast doors!"

As the pair scrambled over the debris and into the ruined elevator, Shepard opened fire again, gritting her teeth as she swept her rifle first to focus on the vent, where smaller ones were pushing through, then to the window. She could not keep this up long. The sheer number of them would soon overwhelm the room as they climbed over the bodies of their dead. She stepped backward, keeping up the fire as Tali boosted Liara up on top of the ruined car. The asari immediately turned and grabbed Tali's hands, pulling the young quarian up after her.

Shepard turned and scrambled over the debris as Liara and Tali began to climb toward the blast doors, Tali already lighting her omni-tool. Risking a pause in her fire, she shipped her rifle and leapt up, catching hold of the edge of the broken elevator and hauling herself up. The eager shrieks below her immediately grew louder, and just as she was about to pull her legs up, she felt something snatch on to her ankle, pulling backward.

Grabbing frantically she caught a broken piece of metal, just barely stopping herself from dropping into the car again. The thing on her ankle tightened and whipped her slightly, trying to break her loose.

Gritting her teeth, she used all her strength to pull herself upward again, getting her torso over the edge of the car again before snatching for her pistol.

"Bastard," she panted, twisting just far enough to plant a bullet in the mouth of the rachni that had a grip on her. It shrieked and recoiled, the appendage whipping loose. Immediately she hauled herself up onto the car, and started to climb.

Above Tali and Liara had reached the blast doors, Tali working quickly trying to hack them. Liara, having braced herself precariously, managed to turn her own gun downward, started to fire at the rachni who were now trying to climb through the car itself and up the shaft after them.

"Shepard! Shepard, I got it!" Tali shouted as the doors reluctantly popped loose. Gripping hold of their horizontal edge, Tali began to physically force them back, to open the shaft enough for them to climb through the gap. As she disappeared from sight, Shepard risked a glance back down. She could no longer hear MIRI but knew they didn't have that much time.

Dead and wounded rachni covered the top of the elevator car, but more were pouring through, starting to climb after her. Looking up at Liara she urged, "Go!"

The gunfire stopped as the asari shipped her gun and grabbed hold of the doors, disappearing past them with Tali's help. Hands reached down as Shepard reached them as well, and she grabbed hold, letting them pull her in.

They were not nearly safe yet.

As soon as she was through the doors Tali began to work on closing them again. Bracing herself Shepard joined her gunfire with Liara's as they continued to pour death down on top of the encroaching rachni.

Seconds. There had to be only _seconds_ left.

The doors suddenly hissed and jolted, sliding halfway closed. Shepard and Liara scrambled back from the gap as a rachni appendage swept through, eagerly dancing. Tali slammed her fist into the control and the doors finally snapped shut, severing the waving tentacle as if it were made of butter. There was an audible click as the doors latched, small lights on their surface turning green.

Collapsing back against the shaft wall, Tali was panting for breath, shaking. Shepard slumped back as well, heart racing as she let her gun clatter to the side.

A moment later a rumble shook the shaft around them, a heavy low growl as if from the bowels of the beast itself. Shepard's hand went instinctively to her radiation gauge on the neck of her hard suit, gripping hold of it as if it were a good luck charm. Several breathless seconds passed before the rumble died away, and silence filled the air.

Slowly, Shepard removed her hand. There was no sound from the gauge, and certainly her face hadn't melted and fallen off. The shielded blast doors had done their job.

"Oh good," she gasped, slumping back in relief, glad to be alive.

* * *

><p>"Captain," the private saluted the grim-faced Ventralis as he turned away from the console. "The neutron purge has been activated. The hot labs have been…sterilized."<p>

Ventralis nodded grimly. "That's that, then," he murmured. "Rachni drones and Commander Shepard, all in one go…just as Benezia had hoped. Damn pity. Shepard was a good soldier."

"Also, sir…Allestia and her men are dead. Apparently they attempted to corner Shepard in the bathroom and she eliminated them. Han Olar…that dazed little volus? He claims she was unarmed and unarmored when she did so."

"What? _Bullshit_. Allestia was a trained commando. Even if she were alone, there's no way that an unarmed marine could have taken her out. That volus is crazy."

"That is just what he says, sir. According to him, she killed them all with a toilet seat."

Ventralis looked at the man as if he was trying to convince him he'd seen a goddamn unicorn, and the private shrugged. "Just passing on what I was told, sir."

"Sir?" Another of his men near the console interrupted, drawing his attention. "Sir, you're never going to believe this."

"What is it?" Ventralis asked as he strode over, peering at the display as the soldier pointed.

"The blast doors on the lower level in the elevator shaft were hacked. I'm showing three thermal signatures."

"Impossible! You told me it was impossible to hack the elevator lockdown from the hot labs."

"Yes, sir, it is sir. They did not hack the elevator lockdown. However the individual blast doors in the shaft itself are on their own separate systems. They can be directly hacked on site, though how they got past the elevator car and into the shaft is beyond me…there's no access hatch."

"She must have made her own," he scowled. "_Shit_. How long before she reaches this level again?"

"Well, given how fast they hacked the first doors, give it…a minute for each door plus climb time, not taking into account exhaustion or any wounds they might have- I'd say we got a minimum of about five minutes before they reach this level again."

"Pack up!" Ventralis barked at the room in general. "Fall back. I want those civilians cleared out, that room is far more defensible. _Move it people_! We got about five minutes before an Alliance Spectre is crawling up our asses…and chances are she's going to be in a _really_ goddamn bad mood."

* * *

><p>For a long while, the three women lay scattered on the blast doors like broken dolls, simply trying to catch their breath and come to terms with the fact they were still alive. Shepard sat, looking upward along the dim shaft above them, noting another set of blast doors a further twenty feet above.<p>

"Shepard, I'm sorry," Tali sniffled, still trembling. "I-I couldn't get the elevator working, I _tried_, I did, but…"

"Hey, enough of that," Shepard said, not unkindly. Sitting up a bit she reached over, taking hold of the quarian's hand and squeezing it lightly. "Far as I'm concerned, you just saved our asses. I won't take apologies for that."

Another sniffle. "I-I guess…"

Shepard pat her hand, then bussed a hand briefly over the top of her helmet, before she looked over at Liara. The asari was sitting, knees drawn up, looking a bit pale. A dark wash of blue covered one cheek, spilling from her temple.

"Hey," Shepard murmured, rising enough to move over and crouch in front of her, taking her chin and scrutinizing the wound.

"It is nothing," Liara murmured. "Just a scratch."

"Yeah…it's not too bad," Shepard agreed. Tali passed her a scrap of gauze and a small pack of medi-gel, and Shepard began to mop up the blood, clearing it away as best she could before popping open the gel and applying it to the gash.

Noticing Liara's far away, fixed gaze, Shepard gently hooked her chin. "Hey, stay with me, T'Soni. You can't shut down on me now."

"I am…I am just tired, Shepard," Liara answered.

"You're exhausted, physically and emotionally," Shepard told her. "We all are. But…minds on recreation, and all that."

She was gratified to see the faint smile, to see the blue eyes come into slightly better focus. She grinned, finishing with the cut.

"There, you're all set."

Looking over she saw Tali was on her feet, looking upward as well. Shepard followed her gaze. "Think you can hack those doors too?"

"It should not be a problem," Tali replied. "It is just going to take time. It will be much easier without the instant threat of death making things interesting."

Shepard snorted her agreement, then helped Liara to her feet. "Might as well get started then. There's an ass up there that seriously needs my boot shoved up it."

* * *

><p>Vision slowly swam back, dragging consciousness along with it. The room was a sickening, unfocused swirl of color and vague shapes. He became aware of the heavy weight in his chest, the burning pain, and coughed.<p>

Blood. The taste of it filled his mouth. Rolling weakly to his side, Ventralis's eyes landed on one of his squad. Lifeless eyes stared back, half the man's skull missing.

Feeling consciousness want to leach away again he closed his eyes, trying to maintain his hold. He was a bit surprised to be alive. Shepard must have thought he was dead, else she'd have put a bullet in his brain to assure it.

He was right. The woman had been _pissed_ when she reappeared…and after the mess she and her two companions had made of his well-armed and armored men, he was beginning to believe Han Olar's story about the toilet seat.

"Shit," he rasped out, struggling to open his eyes again. He was hurt, _bad_. She'd left him for dead but the way it felt, he was going to _be_ dead in a few minutes if he didn't manage to get this bleeding stopped.

He heard footsteps, and lifted his head. A figure was approaching, little more than a blurred shape. As he struggled to focus it drew nearer.

His eyes widened in recognition as the human woman stopped at his feet. Graying blonde hair, a narrow, suspicious gaze. She had a pistol in her hand as she grimaced at him.

"O-_Osco_?" he rasped in shock. "How did you-"

Gellian aimed her pistol and pulled the trigger, watching dispassionately as the back of Ventralis's skull evacuated, the man falling still.

"You should have let me dock," she growled at the corpse. "Bastard."

* * *

><p>The echo of gunfire faded in the corridor, the large rachni collapsing as Liara released the biotic field, allowing it to fall. Lifting the bugs with biotics and gutting them with gunfire while they were helpless in the air had become their stratagem of choice, but in all honesty, Shepard was sick up to her eyeballs of the damn things.<p>

"I hope there are not too many more of them," Tali lamented, evidently sharing Shepard's sentiment.

"I do not think there will be," Liara said wearily. "I think that most that escaped through the vent system have been dealt with. And they would not have left the facility due to the blizzard."

"Keelah, may you be right. I never want to look at another bug again."

"I'm about fed up with this whole damn _planet_," Shepard grumbled, clearing the corridor ahead before jerking her chin toward the lock for the door at the end. "Tali, you're up."

The quarian stepped over to hack the door lock. She had it open in seconds, and the moment a gap appeared Shepard had her gun up, more than ready to put a bullet in the face of anything that dared show it.

When nothing immediate presented itself, she stepped in, clearing the corners as Liara and Tali followed.

The room was large, the floor grated metal. A large platform and some kind of enormous tank dominated the center of the space, and the dim lighting coupled with the easily dozens of places to hide put Shepard instantly on edge.

As they eased forward, there was motion on the platform. All three weapons snapped to focus on it.

The asari woman came down onto the steps with a casual grace, the hem of her scarlet dress long enough to brush the ground at her heels. She regarded them as a queen would her court, one hand resting on the railing of the stairs. Shepard did not need to hear Liara's sharp intake of breath to figure out that this was the matriarch herself.

"Commander Shepard," the woman greeted, before her gaze shifted to Liara. "I shall not be swayed, no matter who you have brought with you."

"Liara's here because she wants to be," Shepard retorted. The woman didn't seem to have any weapons but Shepard knew that Benezia was a biotic, and doubtless a immensely powerful one at that.

"Please…we just want to talk," Liara urged. Benezia's faint smile held no warmth or affection…she may as well have been addressing a complete stranger.

"You are a naïve fool if you think there's even a chance at diplomacy," she scoffed, then turned her gaze to Shepard again. "Have you faced an asari commando unit before, Commander? Few humans have."

Shepard's eyes narrowed beneath her helmet as she ratcheted a fresh heat sink into place. "Bring it."

A breath later and all hell had broken loose. The commandos seemed to come out of nowhere, a dozen fully armed and armored asari warriors that swept around the platform, weapons blazing.

More than once, both in boot and afterward, an old turian saying had been drilled into Shepard's head. _The asari are the finest warriors in the galaxy,_ it went, then concluded, _fortunately_, _there are not many of them._

Even so, the dozen that appeared seemed to her to be an immense amount, especially considering each one had probably been training at combat longer than Shepard had been alive.

"_Find cover_!" she barked at her two companions, and both leapt to find shade as Shepard opened fire. Her shields were flaring madly as bullets were reflected, and almost immediately the overload warning started to flash. A few more shots and she'd be as dead as disco.

She broke left, running as fast as she was able, skidding behind a stack of metal crates like a zero-g baller sliding in for home. Sparks spanked off the ground only inches away as the asari followed her with their gunfire, and almost the moment she was concealed from view, the crate shimmered with a blue aura, and began to lift.

Laying flat, Shepard flung her arm out along the ground, sending a grenade skipping and rolling toward them. The crate suddenly dropped as the startled asari lost her concentration, slamming back to the ground and missing her arm by mere millimeters. The room lit up with the loud, coughing bark as the grenade detonated, and instantly Shepard darted out from her cover, opening fire once again.

Liara tried to keep her cover fire going, as hard as it was to see in the smoke. She didn't know where her mother had gone, but she did not seem to be actively fighting.

Spotting one of the commandos she used her biotics to lift the woman in the air, flinging her against a wall. Armor and shields softened the impact, the commando barely dazed as she scrambled back up to her feet, aiming her weapon at Liara's hiding spot. The young archaeologist ducked back just in time to avoid losing her face.

Nearby, Tali was working her omni-tool frantically, not even bothering with her gun. Catching sight of her, Liara hissed, _"What are you doing?"_

"Trying to overload their shields," the quarian replied urgently. "I'm nearly there…"

Liara squeaked as she was suddenly grabbed by an unseen hand, lifted into the air. The commando she'd tossed had snagged her with biotics, and was now holding her helplessly suspended. With a smirk, the commando flung her arm and Liara sailed through the air before crashing into the wall herself.

Something else exploded nearby as Liara slammed into the ground, coughing and gasping in pain as she tried to reorient herself. She heard the firm tread of boots and then was grabbed again, shoved back into the wall. She saw the commando grin at her as she held her pinned, hand wreathing in blue as she drew back her fist, prepared to tear Liara apart.

Suddenly blood flashed from her throat, spraying over Liara's face-plate, making her gasp in surprise. The commando's grip went limp and her eyes rolled back as Shepard ripped the knife out of her neck.

As the commando dropped, Liara started to sag. Catching her, Shepard half-shoved her back the other way. "Let's go!"

Trying to run through her daze, every bone in her body aching from her slam into the wall, Liara could see only smoke and confusion through the smears of blue on her helmet. Something hissed past her head and she lifted her pistol, firing instinctively. A commando slammed dead to the ground, most of her forehead gone.

"Holy …_nice shot_!" Shepard lauded in surprise.

Though it had been pure chance, Liara coughed, "I'm a bad ass, remember?"

"_Stay down_," Shepard barked a moment later, urging Liara behind the solid railing near the stairs. Dropping near her, she fired up the stairs, each shot sounding like a cannon going off.

_Get hold of yourself, Liara! _

Shaking her head sharply, heart pounding, body aching, she struggled up into a crouch, putting her back to Shepard's in order to cover the exposure. The pistol in her hand felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, and she had no idea where Tali was…or how many commandos they still had to contend with.

Then there was a flare, and a half dozen snapping sounds echoed around them…far too high pitched to be gunfire.

"_What the hell_?" Shepard hissed quietly, a breath before Tali's voice lifted out of the gloom.

"I did it! Their shields are down, Shepard!"

"Tali, _move_!" Shepard barked in alarm.

Shouting out from cover was a rookie mistake, and sure to get you killed even when facing the stupidest of mercs…and these were _hardly_ stupid mercs.

Spotting a flash of motion just before the commandos lit up the area with gunfire, Shepard pulled her rifle around, sweeping bullets over the asari. Two fell immediately; with no shields and wearing no helmets, nothing even slowed her shots to their skulls.

Drawing on her own reserves, Liara flung a crate at the others, sending one to the ground and jarring another as Tali darted away.

Rising, she ran toward the quarian, hearing the echo of more gunshots behind her, the sound of splashing wet and the heavy thump of something hitting the ground.

Then, all forward motion stopped. Once more Liara found herself held off the ground in a throb of biotics. She braced herself, expecting to be flung into the wall again but such an action did not occur. Staring in horror, she noticed Tali being similarly held, just as helpless, only feet away.

Turning her head, she saw her mother. The matriarch was standing on the platform again, hands uplifted as she kept the two young women suspended. From this vantage Liara could see the dead commandos scattered here and there, and one still moving figure in N7 armor as it advanced on the matriarch, rifle sites fixed on her head.

Shaking, Liara risked a glance directly downward. The room was tall enough that they were of a significant height above the floor…a height almost certain to be crippling, if not deadly if they were dropped.

"Lower them," Shepard snarled at the matriarch over her rifle. Up this close she could see the woman's face better. The similarities to Liara were there, but her features were harsher, sharper. She seemed haggard, eyes sunk in dark blue hollows, as if she suffered some kind of illness.

"Pull that trigger, and they fall to their deaths," Benezia warned.

"Damn it, that's your _daughter_," Shepard spat back. "Does that mean _nothing_ to you?"

Motion behind the matriarch caught her attention, but Shepard didn't dare move her eyes away from the crazed bitch. Out of her peripheral vision she saw one of the commandos lurch to her feet, shuffling forward weakly.

The woman had to be nearly dead, judging by the gaping rent in her armor, the dark sheen of blue down her side. She was pale, unfocused, but seemed intent on the matriarch.

"All who stand in our way will die," Benezia intoned. "Lower your weapon, Commander. Surrender to this with some dignity, and I won't let them suffer."

"Fuck. You."

Behind Benezia, the lurching commando suddenly half fell into her, flailing her arms around the woman weakly. It almost looked like she was trying to attack the matriarch, though her strikes were ineffectual. It was enough, however, to startle the woman. As she whirled, pushing the commando off of her, the biotic bubbles holding Liara and Tali in the air vanished. Shepard spun in a panic, eyes wide as she watched the two plummet downward.

"_NO_!"

Drawing on all her energy, Liara's own biotics flared brightly. Thrusting out a hand toward the tumbling quarian, she enveloped her with blue energy even as she cushioned her own fall. Landing on her hands and knees sharply, but unharmed, Liara lowered Tali carefully to the ground beside her. Exhausted, she couldn't even manage to stand, but cried out in alarm toward the commander, who was staring at them.

"_Shepard_! Look-"

_That was a damn fool thing to do_, Shepard berated herself as she turned back toward Benezia in what seemed like slow motion. _There are goddamn new grunts who know not to turn your back on a dangerous, active enemy, no matter __**what**__ is going on behind you!_

She should have planted the shot the moment Benezia had been distracted. Should have taken her out without hesitation, eliminated her threat instantly with one trigger pull. Instead, she'd spun around like a damn four year old toward her falling friends, leaving herself completely exposed.

She didn't even get her rifle back up before a wall of biotic energy hit her like a damn MAKO. She literally heard her armor crack under the blow, felt the shockwave pulse through her body with muscle-wrenching force. Pain, sharp and hot, immediately cut her breath short.

Railing bent as she struck it with her lower back, sending waves of pain like an electric shock radiating from the area as she flipped over it, crashed face-down on the ground.

For a blessed moment she lay there still, unable to move. Some clinical part of her was assessing the damage. Cracked ribs, if not broken. A hell of a lot of internal stress from the concussion wave. Possibly she'd fractured her pelvis a bit when she hit the railing.

Sensing her injuries, the emergency measures built into her suit drove thin needles into her arms. She barely felt them, like the distant sting of a biting fly. Slowly the pain began to fade as the injections took effect, and she found her breath again.

Weakly pushing herself up, she reached for her pistol just as Liara got to her side, grasping hold of her.

"Shepard!"

Half hunched, she focused on Benezia, lifting her weapon.

How were they not dead? The moment she'd hit her, Benezia should have finished them off. Shepard had been down for the count, Liara exhausted, Tali dazed…it would have hardly been an effort.

The woman wasn't even trying to attack them. She was, in fact, sitting on the platform in a crumpled, weary posture, the now limp commando at her feet. Head hung, shoulders curled, the matriarch made a faintly choking sound. Shepard's brows knit as she realized the woman was, in fact, _crying_.

"Mother?" Liara ventured, taking a step forward. Shepard immediately snatched hold of her arm, stopping her.

"Liara, I'm so…I'm so _sorry_," The matriarch looked up at her daughter and for the first time since they'd set eyes on her, there seemed to be a real person under her features. Where before her eyes had been cold, now there was no lack of love and misery swimming in her gaze.

"Mother…_why_?"

"I didn't…didn't have a choice," she answered. "Shepard, please…I do not have much time. You must listen. I am not myself. I managed to…to hide part of my mind from his will but it is small and I cannot hold out long."

"His will?" Shepard asked warily, not lowering her gun. She suddenly remembered what Tali had found from the geth data she'd examined in the CAT, something about mind control. "Are you saying Saren is _controlling_ you?"

"I thought I could temper him, guide him on a gentler path…as I had Gellian," Benezia explained. "But…there is something _wrong_…with him, Sovereign…I began to lose myself, piece by piece. Instead of the ramblings of the mad his plans began to make sense, to even seem right…whispers in the dark, so many whispers…"

"You're not making sense. Just slow down and tell me what happened," Shepard urged.

"There's no time, Shepard. I can feel his claws, growing sharper…Saren is looking for the Conduit. He is trying to raise an army, but that is not why he funded the project with the rachni. The queen…she retains the memories of her species, going back before the rachni war. We know the Conduit lies beyond the Mu Mass Relay."

"The location of the Mu Relay was lost," Shepard snapped.

"Yes, but the rachni knew where it was," Benezia said in a hush. "I took the information from the queen's mind, I…I was not gentle."

Her trembling hand lifted, and pointed at small case sitting on a shelf nearby, a dead PDA resting atop it. "I sent him the coordinates just before you entered, wiped the PDA…but I have them saved on an OSD, I-I managed that much. You _must_ find the Conduit before he does."

"What is the Conduit? What does it do? Why does Saren want it?"

But it was too late. Almost visibly, Shepard could see that flat, dead expression seep back into Benezia's eyes, watched that misery give way to a cold, calculating smirk.

Slowly extending her free arm, Shepard held it in front of Liara as her glove creaked faintly, other hand tightening on the grip of the pistol.

Suddenly Benezia surged forward, leaping to her feet with a snarled, "_DIE_!", hands igniting with blue fire, murderous intent.

Shepard fired, smoothly pulling the trigger five times, her lashes barely fluttering with each flat burst from her weapon. Benezia coughed and gasped as the bullets tore through the chest and stomach of her dress. She faltered and started to stumble forward, the light fading from her hands. As she collapsed Liara made a sound, a grief-stricken wail of agony that cut Shepard to the core.

She dropped her arm as Liara pushed past her, rushing up the steps onto the platform, shedding her helmet as she went. "Mother! No! No, Goddess…_please no_!"

Blood stained the ruined front of her red dress a deep purple as Liara threw her helmet aside and dropped to her knees, gathering the matriarch in her arms. Trying to focus, Benezia looked up into the miserable eyes of her little girl.

"Mother, please…we'll get you help," Liara sobbed, stroking her face. Reaching up a hand, Benezia managed to tangle her fingers in her daughter's.

"I'm so sorry," she breathed, her voice little more than a vague escape of air. "I was always proud of you, Little Wing."

"Don't go," the young asari begged, cheeks slick with tears. "Please…don't leave me."

"Never," Benezia smiled, before she was too weary to draw another breath, the pain fading away into black.

"No," Liara whimpered as she felt her mother's body grow limp, eyes glazing. Her lungs and chest ached with sobs as she clasped the woman to her, hugging her tightly. "Oh, no…no…"

She was vaguely aware of a form that came to her side. Lifting her head she sniffled, blinking. Shepard stood there, pistol in her right hand pointed at the ground, her helmet held in her left. Her brows were knit, eyes glossed as she stared down at the two. Liara felt anger flare up in her, unexpectedly hot.

"You killed her," she accused through hitching breaths, then grit her teeth as Shepard met her eyes. "I hate you, Shepard. I _hate you_ for this."

Shepard's jaw tightened and she looked away, nodding ever so faintly before she shipped her pistol. The light on her belt was steady now, issuing a faintly annoying beep. That biotic blast from Benezia had finally finished overloading her shields. Tossing her helmet down, she switched the unit off, both light and beep fading away. Damn thing would have to be repaired before the shields would work again.

She walked over to the case and the PDA, fishing out the OSD that Benezia had indicated. As she did, Tali moved in and sat down at Liara's side, winding an arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort the grieving daughter.

Tucking the small disc away, Shepard's eyes fell on that dark, battered tank that dominated the platform. Unable to see inside, she stepped closer, wiping a hand over the glass and peering within. A vague shape, as large as a draft horse, moved in the gloom. Squinting, she noticed an HI nearby and stepped over, accessing it. Several control options scrolled by. She halted her finger on the one indicated 'lights' and selected it.

The tank illuminated, casting the creature within into view.

It was huge, no doubt…a massive insect that easily dwarfed the ones they had killed on the way here. Its black eyes glistened at Shepard with a frightening intelligence. Shepard peered back with a grimace.

This had to be the queen.

"_Keelah_!"

Tali's sudden gasp drew her attention, and Shepard whipped around, snatching out her pistol as she did so. The dying commando, the one that had tried to attack Benezia, was once again struggling to her feet. She was so pale she was almost white, eyes glazed as she limped forward, ignoring the quarian and asari girl nearby and focusing on Shepard.

Taking half a step back, Shepard grimaced in confusion, half lowering her gun. The commando was hardly a threat. She looked like she'd fall over if Shepard so much as tapped her on the shoulder.

The commando made no move to attack, her eyes sliding away from Shepard and fixing on the tank as she struggled forward, then stumbled to a halt. Turning her head, she looked at Shepard but did not truly seem to be seeing her.

"_Please_," she spoke, and Shepard jolted back another step. The voice was both a breathless whisper, and yet somehow strong and radiating inside of Shepard's head. From Tali and Liara's exclamations she knew they were hearing it the same way. "Please, let us out…"

"Who are you?" Shepard demanded.

"We are…the Mother…" the commando replied. Inside her head Shepard heard it again, sensed odd shimmers of color, bursts of shine that radiated outward with each syllable.

Glancing back at the tank, then at the dying woman, Shepard's gaze narrowed. "You're the Rachni Queen. You're controlling this woman, aren't you?"

"Yes…her song is fading…I cannot save her, but her voice sings with mine now, let's me sing to you."

"Is that what this is? In my head? Your singing?" Shepard demanded.

"Yes…our songs are of colors, of music. Our Mothers sang to each other across the stars. We heard the broken songs of the Children die under the fire."

"Yeah, I killed them," Shepard grumped. "They were slaughtering people, attacking us. And now you want me to let _you_ out?"

"No, it is good that you stopped their singing. The Children were broken, taken away. They did not learn how to sing as they should. Their colors were tainted, their notes sour. There was no hope for them."

"It's glad we killed its children?" Tali asked, surprised.

"You're dangerous," Shepard retorted, shifting her gaze from the commando to the giant bug watching her from behind the glass. "Your people caused a war, slaughtered tens of thousands before the krogan put them down. And your 'children' didn't convince me that your extinction was a _bad_ thing."

"The songs of our Mothers were pure, and then they were darkened by a sour yellow note. Their voices became discordant, their colors changed. Their song is done. We will teach our Children the pure song, we shall show them the true rainbow. We do not wish harm to any. We grieve our Children but it was right that you brought them to the fire. They were cursed to the darkness, the colorless and music-less land."

Tali had eased away from Liara and now came to Shepard's side, lightly touching her arm. "Shepard, look…that tank is designed to flood with acid. A single button push is all it would take."

Shepard peered where the quarian pointed, noting the hoses, the hazard stickers. Pursing her lips she tilted her head toward Tali. "What do you think?"

"I don't know Shepard. She could be lying. The rachni are extremely dangerous and as you said, nothing we saw here proves otherwise. But…her story _could_ be true. History shows us that the rachni were advanced enough to have ships, space travel. Tell me…those rachni we fought to get this far. Did they strike you as _capable_ of space travel?"

Shepard had to concede that. The bugs in the facility had seemed more or less mindless, bent on the attack. They had used obvious routes of travel such as the vents, ignoring doors. And they had continued to simply throw themselves on gunfire in mindless fury…even animals learned not to poke their noses where it hurt. That hardly jived with a race intelligent and cooperative enough to build a society, to reach the level of space flight.

Glancing past Tali Shepard looked at Liara, who still sat upon the platform, cradling her mother's dead body. Tears shone from her cheeks, her eyes darkened from her crying, but she was watching them in silence. Her eyes met Shepard's before her face seemed to crumple a little, and turn away.

_It's one thing when they can fight back_, Liara's earlier words returned to her, from when they watched the rachni drones die in the contamination chamber. _It's another to watch them helpless and trapped_.

_You…do not think that_ you _have a good heart?_

_I was right. I have seen too much death. _

Tucking her pistol away she turned toward the controls again. The queen in the tank watched her closely, black eyes glimmering. Ever so faintly, Shepard could see the tiny feelers around her mouth trembling, and when the 'voice' came again, speaking both in her head and from the commando, Shepard could sense a tremor of fear, echoing through a burst of dark orange.

"Will you let us sing once more?" the queen asked. "Or is our song to fade away again?"

Shepard scrolled through the commands, finding the one she wanted and highlighting it. Her eyes lifted, meeting the inky black ones through the tempered glass.

"Don't make me regret this," she snarled in a low voice. "Or I _will_ hunt you down and mount your head on my _fucking_ wall."

She pushed the button. The door to the tank unlatched, swinging free, a tunnel extending from the far wall to join with the entry way.

The queen turned toward it, then turned back toward Shepard.

"The Children will sing of your greatness," it sent in joyful sprays of yellow and violet. "We shall remember your color always."

Turning, the enormous insectoid moved with a surprising grace as it hurried away down the tunnel, vanishing from sight. As it did, the commando suddenly wavered and then collapsed to the ground, lifeless eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. Stepping back, Shepard looked down at her, then over at Liara again.

"I hope you did the right thing," Tali murmured, setting her hand on Shepard's shoulder before she turned and went back to Liara's side, crouching down.

"Yeah," Shepard grunted. "Me t-"

Something snapped through the air, a low drone like an angry wasp. The chest-plate of her hard suit ruptured in a blooming flower of reinforced metal, cutting off her sentence in a pained grunt. The low bang of a rifle-shot echoed through the room a millisecond later.

Her breath suddenly cut short, Shepard stumbled back, crashing against the tank console, then dropping into a sit hard on the metal grating.

"_No_!"

Liara's cry barely cut through the swimming gloom that threatened to overwhelm her. Tali, having spotted a form running for the door, bolted to her feet, drawing her gun as she ran at full speed in pursuit.

Struggling, Shepard managed to draw in an agonizing breath, the world seeming to clarify and solidify once again as she got oxygen.

Cursing hoarsely, she managed to get hold of her pistol, tried to get to her feet. Dizziness swarmed her and she dropped to one knee instead, even as Liara grabbed hold of her, trying to restrain her.

"Don't!" Liara sobbed, clinging to her. "Don't…d-don't move…"

"Tali," Shepard coughed, every breath feeling like it had been lit aflame. "She's gonna get herself killed."

"_Don't move_!" Liara ordered again, sounding both frantic and furious.

"Then go…help Tali!" Shepard snapped back, eyes swimming. Liara all but forced her down into a sit, then nodded her head.

"Yes, just _don't move_," she urged, then pulled her own weapon and rose, pelting out after the quarian.

Shepard coughed, leaning back against the console again as she fought to catch her breath. Grimacing, she gingerly began to work the connections for her breastplate.

Pain lanced at her in hot jabs and she growled through clenched teeth as she managed to work it off, letting it fall to the side.

Her hand quested up and found her uniform shirt was still intact. The shot hadn't penetrated all the way through the armor, but the concussion of it had hit her already cracked ribs like the blow from a sledgehammer. From the feel of each breath at least one rib had broken, probably two, and she was going to have a hell of a bruise.

Satisfied she wasn't bleeding, she struggled up to her feet. She could feel the ends of the broken ribs grate on each other, pinching against her lung and cutting her breath short again. Leaning on the rail, she closed her eyes and firmly set her mind against the pain, before she gingerly made her way down the stairs and started after Liara and Tali, gripping her pistol tightly.

* * *

><p>Tali charged after the fleeing figure, lifting her gun to aim just as it vanished through the doorway, into the corridor. Cursing, she lowered the weapon again, putting on speed and bursting out into the hall only a few seconds later.<p>

The long corridor was empty.

Blinking in shock, Tali slid to a halt and stared a moment. Her prey should be in plain sight…given their speed they could not have reached to the juncture in the distance that quickly, and there were no doorways here to duck into.

Stepping forward quickly, she lifted her gun again, edging around the dead rachni they had gutted earlier, moving toward the end of the hall. Just as she reached it, she heard Liara's voice, her quick footsteps.

"Tali! Where…did you see them?"

"Yes, I...I don't know where they've gone," Tali replied, reaching the end of the hall. Peeking out cautiously she looked down one juncture, then the other. Both were empty. "Bosh'tet!"

Liara reached her side, also looking up and down the juncture, panting for breath, before looking back down the hall, eyes seeking for any door they had missed, any vent even that might have provided a means of escape.

She saw neither, only the crumpled ruin of the rachni and…

"Shepard!"

Tali turned, lowering her gun. "Keelah," she breathed in relief. "She's alive."

Shepard limped into the doorway, pistol in hand and the other plastered against her chest, face pale as she leaned on the wall. "Did you find them?" she asked.

"No, they disappeared," Tali said regretfully as Liara strode back toward the commander.

"Disappeared? How?"

"You should not be moving," Liara snapped furiously. Shepard shook her head.

"Just some broken ribs, bullet didn't penetrate."

"Oh, well then…if that is _all_…" Liara retorted with a sniffle, striding past the human woman and back into the tank room.

Tali ducked her head a little, looking at Shepard. "Don't mind her," she said apologetically. "She's upset. Her mother…and you scared the eezo out of us."

"I know," Shepard mumbled, then shook her head. "Did you see who it was? Geth? One of Ventralis's we missed?"

"It was human, female," Tali replied matter-of-factly. "Yellow hair, I think…that is all I was really able to make out. She was not wearing armor…looked like a civilian."

"Civvie taking a pot-shot at me," Shepard snorted. "Wonder who I could have pissed off that bad."

* * *

><p>"Commander, if I keep seeing you in my infirmary I'm going to start thinking you have a crush on me," Chakwas said dryly as Shepard finally limped into the medi-bay, followed by a solemn Tali. The blizzard had just cleared enough for the <em>Normandy<em> to make it to the peak facility and evacuate their people…once Parasini had ordered the anti-craft turrets to stand down and let them through, of course.

"Don't be ridiculous," Shepard snapped in irritation, then smirked. "I know you're out of my league."

Chakwas laughed. "Good to see your sense of humor is still intact, such as it is."

As she headed toward the commander, Shepard shook her head and pointed at the quarian. "Tali first."

"I'm _fine_, commander," the girl replied impatiently. "No suit breaches, no breaks, nothing but a few bruises. I'm not the one that got slammed around with biotics and then shot."

"Shot?" Chakwas blinked, then pointed firmly at the bio-bed. "Move it, Commander."

Glowering, Shepard limped over and gingerly lay down, grimacing as she did so. As Chakwas began her scan and examination, she half glanced at Tali.

"You may not be hurt but no doubt you are exhausted. You need to eat and rehydrate, then get some sleep. Where's Liara?"

"She's down…with her mother," Shepard said neutrally. "She'll be up shortly."

Chakwas didn't press, simply nodded grimly and regarded the scans.

"Well, you've certainly done a number on yourself," she stated as it completed. "Four fractured ribs, two outright broken, and you've sprained your sacroiliac joint. I'm not even going to ask how you managed that one. You've got a great deal of bruising, a lot of soft tissue trauma and you're damn lucky you don't have a punctured lung."

As she straightened Shepard looked at her. "Well, bind me up enough I can get back to work-"

"Back to work? Oh, no, Commander. I'm afraid you're going to be my guest for a couple of days. Those ribs need surgically repaired before you _do_ end up puncturing your lung. You're not going anywhere. Pressley can take over your duties until I release you."

"_Shit_!"

"You say the sweetest things, but you're still staying put," the doctor ordered. "That's what happens when you get yourself shot, Commander."

Looking up at Tali, who was still lingering in the door, she said, "Make sure Liara comes up here when she's…when she's ready, and go get some rest. I'll make sure Pressley knows Shepard is out of commission for a few days-"

"A _few_? You said _two_!" Shepard barked, lifting her head. Chakwas lifted a brow and glared at her.

"Want to make it a week? Keep talking."

Shepard dropped her head back down with a growl. "You're so fucking fired."

"That's enough out of you," Chakwas said, going over to the bed controls. With a couple of taps, the IV lines slid home and sedative flooded the wounded woman's system. Smiling down at her, Chakwas added, "Goodnight, Commander. I'll see you when surgery is over."

"You-" Shepard began, but the rest of the sentence, whatever it might have been, was lost to darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: Sorry for the long delay for this chapter. Between work and the holiday time this week was short. I hope it was worth waiting for!

Additional: Minor edit to add Garrus to the line-up taking Benezia's body to the transport. Thank you W00KY85!

* * *

><p>The corridor was silent, the last sounds having faded over an hour before as Shepard and her team left the facility. The crumpled rachni body lay still amid its own viscera, lifeless eyes reflecting the dim emergency lights. Even the distant, roaring sounds of the blizzard had faded away into preternatural quiet.<p>

Then, the body moved. Shifting, the bug seemed to rise up a bit, more ichor spilling out onto the ground. A human hand, pale and streaked with slime, groped its way out from underneath.

As if being reborn, Gellian Osco pulled herself from the gutted torso of the large insect where she had hidden from the pursuing quarian. Her hair hung in short, black-slicked dreadlocks over her cheeks, clothes matted with ichor and unspeakable foulness.

Dropping the now useless rifle, she stayed there a moment on hands and knees, head hanging, before she finally staggered up.

Not too far away there was an emergency decom room, complete with shower. Her shaking fingers left a streak of black behind as she slapped on the water.

The spray was hot enough to lift steam instantly, pouring over her head as she stood beneath the tumult, ignoring the pain as her skin reddened. As the remnants of the dead rachni slowly washed away, swirling into the drain, Gellian half leaned on the wall and tried her best to choke back the sobs.

She had been too late. She may not have made much difference in the fight, but had that prick Ventralis actually opened the bay and let her land like she'd wanted to, she would at least have _been_ there, died with some shred of humanity left to her. Instead she had to struggle to find her own landing area, break into the facility in the midst of a class 9…and she'd arrived much too late.

_I should have shot his kneecaps off while he lay there suffering. Should have found a knife and cut off his fingers, carved off his ears, extended his agony for what he'd done. The bullet to the brain was far too merciful._

Through her entire life, Benezia had been the only person to treat Gellian like she was an actual human being, to truly want to help her. Doctors had always looked at her like she was some kind of medical oddity, a freak. Her parents, colonist farmers and hardly the brightest stars in the sky, had no idea how to handle their incredibly intelligent daughter and so left her to her own devices. Cerberus had been interested in her only because of her IQ, her talent at genetics and her ruthless insanity. The Alliance wanted to commit her, to medicate her into stupidity and keep her locked in some damn room somewhere until her brain finally gave out.

Benezia had actually cared, actually listened, fought to help Gellian see that she could control herself, that she could be something other than self-destructive and masochistic. She had been the only friend Gellian could ever recall having…and Shepard had gunned her down like an animal.

She hadn't seen it, that moment. By the time she'd finally reached the tank room where the queen was being held Benezia was already being cradled in her weeping daughter's arms, Shepard indifferently releasing the bug. Realizing what had happened, a fury and a seething grief had flooded the geneticist and without thought, she'd lifted her rifle and fired at the marine.

If not for her haze of emotion, she would have aimed more prudently toward Shepard's un-helmeted, un-shielded head. Instead, firing the rifle had been pure reflex, adrenaline, and she'd only hit the bitch in the chest before fleeing.

When she'd heard the marine speaking in the hall, in pain but alive, she had nearly abandoned her hiding spot and attacked her. Though by then the initial flood of emotion had started to clear and while she was crazy, Gellian was not a fool. She would hardly be able to kill Shepard, not with two other armed women standing right there to stop her, and would only have died or been taken prisoner…neither of which were very conducive to avenging Benezia.

Lifting her head toward the heated spray, Gellian opened her eyes, hands clenched hard at her sides. More or less clean now, her clothes were weighted down with water, her hair hanging in lank, streaming strands on her cheeks.

Benezia was gone. Shepard had killed her, snuffed her out without a thought. Gellian should have taken that shot on Therum when she had Shepard's skull in her sights…then none of this would have happened.

_You've taken the only thing keeping me sane, Shepard. You'd better be prepared for my madness when I see you again. I will make you suffer as no other living creature has ever, or will ever, suffer. I'm coming for you. _

Opening her hand, she looked dispassionately at the cuts in her palm inflicted by her own fingernails.

_I'm coming for you._

* * *

><p>"Hey, Liara…?" Kaidan blinked as he looked up from his locker to see the asari scientist standing there. Barely anyone from the crew had seen her since they'd departed Noveria. She'd accompanied her mother's body in its sealed transport case to the cargo hold and remained there for some time, but after that she'd simply gone into the lab and hadn't emerged, seeing no one but Dr. Chakwas.<p>

He was rather surprised to see her now, straightening as he looked at her. She looked worn, tired, but he supposed that was more than understandable.

"Lt. Alenko, do you have a moment?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure, of course. Kaidan please. How are you holding up?"

"I am…better, thank you," she replied. "I have…been doing quite a bit of thinking."

"I'll bet," he said sympathetically. "C'mon, here. Have a seat."

They moved over to the nearby benches, Kaidan waiting for the scientist to seat herself before he did so as well. "What can I do for you?"

"I…find myself in need of some advice, and considering the subject you seemed the most logical choice."

"Me?" Kaidan smiled faintly, baffled. "Sure, I…guess it depends on the subject. Advice…about what?"

Wiping her palms on her knees, the young asari sat straighter, lifting her chin as if coming to a decision. "Romance," she stated bluntly.

Kaidan blinked in surprise. Of everything she could possibly have brought up, he had suspected that one the least. His shock caused him to merely echo her, blurting out, "_Romance_?"

"Yes. As you may know, I do not have much experience at social interaction, and differing species have different methods of…courtship. I entertained the idea of looking up human courtship rituals on the extranet but, somehow that made it seem clinical, like a science experiment. I decided it was much better to go right to the source."

"Well, I…I don't know how much help I'll be," he chuckled.

"You _are_ familiar with human courtship rituals, are you not?"

"Sure…in a…uh, _cultural_ sense, I guess," he said. "But beyond a couple of girlfriends when I was younger I haven't exactly um…practiced them recently. I'll tell you what I can but…Ashley might be a better choice for advice."

"Why?"

"Well, she's…you know. You're both women. Girl talk, and all that."

"I am not exactly a 'woman', Kaidan," Liara reminded him. "Asari are monogendered."

"Ah, well, _sure_, I know that, but you look…anyway, Ashley might have better advice when it comes to men."

"I am not looking for advice where it 'comes to men'," Liara told him bluntly. "I would like to know how one sets about courting a human female."

"Oh! Uh…sure, ok," Kaidan blurted. "Sorry, Liara, I probably sound like a teenager. I'm just…I'm probably about as used to talking about these things as you are. Let's see…courting a human female…"

As she watched him, he struggled to put his thoughts in order, flattered that she'd come to him to ask about such things but at the same time, unused to such a position. He had no younger siblings, and as he'd said, hardly considered himself a ladies' man in terms of experience.

_Basics, Alenko. Just give her basics_.

"Well, women like to be complimented," he told her. "They like to be told how pretty they are, but you should also compliment things that make them uniquely…_them_. Their intelligence, their skill at something, you know…so they know that you see them and not just their looks. Uh…chivalry is always good."

"Chivalry?"

"Oh, yeah, old Earth term. Little things, you know? Like pulling out their chair for them when they go to sit down, or holding open doors…well, non-automatic doors. Girls like that. Gifts are good too. Flowers and chocolate, sweet things. Let's them know you're thinking about them."

"Hmm. I see…"

"Just…out of curiosity…are we talking about a _specific_ human female here?"

"Commander Shepard," Liara replied matter-of-factly. Though he was not drinking anything at the moment Kaidan somehow managed to swallow wrong anyway, suddenly bursting out in a coughing fit.

_Shepard?_

"Kaidan? Kaidan, are you all right?" Liara asked as the man coughed frantically, fist in front of his mouth, struggling to get back into control. Nodding energetically, he slowly managed to catch his breath, waving a hand.

"I'm…I'm fine…" he rasped.

"Are you sure?" she asked. He bobbed his head again, regained his voice.

"Yeah, uh…did you say 'Commander Shepard?'" he asked. "As in, _our_ Commander Shepard?"

"I do not know any _other_ Commander Shepards," Liara replied dryly. "Do you?"

"No, I…"he coughed again, and shook his head. "Ok…no. Forget…forget _everything_ I just said about courtship."

"I do not understand."

"I didn't know you were talking about _Shepard_," he told her. "Flowers and chivalry and telling her how pretty she is…that's more likely to get you decked than anything else. Shepard…doesn't strike me as the 'flowers and candy' kind of girl."

"I am confused. There is not a universally accepted method of courtship for human females?"

"No, no…not really. Most, you're good to go with what I said, but…well, _Shepard_… my advice to you? Don't try."

Liara's expression darkened a little. "Do not _try_? Do you not think I am good enough for the comm-"

"No! I mean, yes, nooo…no no, that's not what I meant," Kaidan said hurriedly. "I mean, don't _try_. Best bet with Shepard would be to just be blunt and honest, let things just…go how they go. Don't _try_ and court her, to force things. She's not the kind of woman that you can court like that. Get all your cards on the table, be genuine and direct. No fluff, that's what I mean."

"Ah, I see."

"Liara, I have to say that I'm a little concerned though. I…don't want you to get your feelings hurt. I know it's…normal, well…asari…as you said, you're monogendered. But humans aren't. And while you're not a woman you do _look_ like one, you fit into a female role, right? The majority of human females are biologically wired to find only males attractive in that respect. It's not _uncommon_ to find women who are attracted to other women or even both genders but Shepard may not be one of those. You have to prepare yourself for that eventuality."

"Oh," Liara seemed to shrink slightly, brows knitting. "I…had not considered that."

"Can…I ask you a question?"

Liara blinked, then nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Where is all this coming from, anyway? I mean, I know you've been spending a lot of time with Shepard but, I thought that was because you were helping her with her visions. Not that I'm criticizing your _choice_, mind…Shepard is one of a kind, and hardly difficult on the eyes but…honestly, I'd never have pegged her as your type. She's a little…_rough_."

"I do not know," Liara answered honestly. "I have been asking myself that since we met. I find that I have an attachment to her. Tali says this is what it is like to have a friend, that my attachment is because she saved my life, because I have been helping her…that it is natural to feel this way in light of such circumstances. I accepted that but…something tells me that it is _more_ than that. I am not used to having friends but I do not think 'friendship' is what I am feeling. When I am around her I feel…safe? I feel…happy, inside. I find myself thinking about her all the time. I want to be around her, to have her approval. I want to see her smile, to know that I am the one that made her smile. I…"

She shook her head, looking down at her hands as she played with the hem of her tunic again. "I…have been having unpleasant dreams, since we returned from Noveria. I dream of seeing Benezia shot again, holding her in my arms. I am so angry at Shepard, so furious with her, for killing my mother."

"That's understandable," Kaidan murmured gently. Liara looked at him.

"I tell Shepard that I hate her, that I will always…always hate her and…she lets the queen go as she did. Everything happens as it did but when she turns around, it all changes. She is shot, yes…but…but there is blood, more than one gunshot. I see her collapse, know she is dying and…and it is as if my whole world stops. I try to get to her but I cannot reach her, I cannot move and I just…watch her bleed, and die, and I can do nothing about it and…and losing Benezia suddenly seems like nothing, but losing _her_…and the last thing I said to her was that I _hated_… "

She shook her head again self-consciously, looking downward as her voice thickened, eyes glossing with tears. "It is silly…"

"No, it's not," Kaidan insisted kindly, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Listen, your best bet is to just…tell her all this. Be straightforward. You owe that to yourself at the very least. Then just…see what happens."

"But what if it is as you said? What if she…rejects me, or laughs at me-"

"Hey, I don't know her as well as you do, but I _do_ know that one thing Shepard would _never_ do is laugh at you for something like this. As for the rest well…then you'd _know_."

Liara bobbed her head. "Yes, of course you are correct."

"At the very least, she probably needs to know you _don't_ hate her," Kaidan affirmed.

"Yes," she said softly, then straightened a little, composing herself. "Thank you, Kaidan. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me."

"Hey, any time. I'm glad to help."

They rose, and as she headed away he rubbed the back of his neck and murmured, "Good luck, kiddo."

* * *

><p>Steam had fogged the small mirror in the tiny bathroom. Reaching out, Shepard wiped a clean swath over the glass, then regarded her reflection with a grimace.<p>

The surgery had gone fine, Chakwas binding the broken ribs and cleaning up tiny loose fragments before sealing her up again. It had now been nearly three days since leaving Noveria, and Shepard had finally been allowed out of the infirmary…though Chakwas had put her foot down and refused to let her take on her duties again for another twenty four hours.

Not that she didn't still have her marks. Half of her chest was a deep purple bruise, darkening to black where the shot had actually impacted. The tiny pink lines where Chakwas had made her incisions were almost lost amid the nebulous ebony. Like tendrils, fingers of bruising had even stretched up over her collar and onto the side of her neck.

Half turning, she regarded her second bruise, spreading like butterfly wings on her lower back. Less impressive, this one was already turning to yellow and green along its edges, remaining a deep purple only along the line the railing had struck directly.

The motion of twisting made sore muscles complain bitterly. She ignored them, glaring into her own dark brown eyes.

_I hate you, Shepard_.

She should have made Liara go back to the ship, should have _forced_ her. Shepard hadn't had a choice. If she hadn't pulled the trigger, if she hadn't shot Benezia, the matriarch would have killed all of them. Shepard couldn't have taken another biotic slam, and one of the force that had hit her before would have had both Liara and Tali on the ground in agony, if not dying. Benezia would have finished them off with no more difficulty than stepping on ants.

_Yeah, you had no choice. That sounds familiar, Shepard. When was the last time you told yourself that, before you pulled that trigger? Oh yes…I remember…_

The air smelled of blood and dust. Two battered marines stood in Torfan's gloaming, rifles pointed at the heads of four batarians. The aliens were on their knees, hands wound behind their heads, battered and exhausted, more than one bleeding noticeably.

Shepard had faced them. Faced them and saw all the marines she'd sent in to their deaths, all the blank eyes of the slaves, the young children they'd found in cages, the life and joy behind their eyes somehow deleted. She thought of the collars, the electric prods, the bloodstained clubs, the maggoty food. The pain and misery was palpable in the air, and Shepard…well, she was the spirit of vengeance.

She'd pulled out her pistol, striding to the first man on his knees. Unarmed, helpless, his four-eyes blinked wearily as she planted the muzzle against his forehead, her own eyes aflame.

Still, he had smirked a little, spat a stream of blood aside from his split lip.

"You won't," he scoffed.

Shepard did.

Two of the other three wept quietly, closing their eyes as she put the pistol to their heads. The final one was little more than a boy. The smell of blood, the echo of the shots that had claimed the other three still sharp in the air, he'd merely looked up wearily and met her eyes.

"I'm sorry for what I did," he mumbled.

"Not goddamn sorry _enough_," she'd snarled back, and pulled the trigger.

That was the only shot she'd fired that day that made her feel like a murderer, like the butcher they would quickly label her.

She opened her eyes to the mirror again. She'd told herself she'd had no choice, almost convinced herself of it…but she didn't believe it, not now. They'd surrendered. They were unarmed, no continuing threat. That boy…batarian or not, that boy might have had a chance to turn his life around, to do some good in the galaxy. There had been genuine regret in his voice, some semblance of honor as he courageously looked her in the eyes. And Shepard had taken that choice, that chance, away from him. She'd blown away that courage, erased that potential.

Unable to look at herself any longer she finished drying off, dressing. Emerging into her quarters she slammed open a drawer, rummaging in it before pulling out a small bottle. Spinning the lid off she filled a glass, dropping back the shot of whiskey with barely a pause, before filling the glass again.

She wanted a smoke, but she was out.

Lifting the glass again she paused as her door-call suddenly chimed at her. Lowering the glass a little, she grimaced, closing her eyes.

Long seconds crawled past, stretching themselves into small eternities, miniature ice ages. Then, almost tentatively, the call chimed again. Scowling, she barked an irritated, "Come in!"

The door slid open, and expecting it was either Chakwas insisting on another examination, or Pressley with some report about this or that, she didn't even glance over. Instead, she lifted the glass to her lips again, draining it.

"I am…sorry to disturb you. I can come back later…?"

Swallowing the mouthful of whiskey she glanced over at Liara, just barely schooling her surprise. Gesturing with the glass she shook her head. "No…you're not disturbing me. Have a seat."

As the asari moved to sit down, Shepard tipped the bottle, once more filling the glass. "You want a drink?" she offered.

"No, thank you, Shepard. I…I came…to apologize."

Shepard winced ever so faintly, shook her head again. "Nothing to apologize for," she said.

"Yes, there is," Liara insisted. "I was…incredibly unfair to you. You were honest with me from the beginning, from the moment we found out that Benezia was on Noveria. I knew that it would likely come to such a conclusion, that…that you might be forced to…you had no choice, Commander. I know that. I knew that then, but when I saw you shoot her-"

"It's all right, Liara."

"No, it is not," the asari insisted. "I do not hate you, Shepard. I should not have said such a thing. I know that what you did was not easy, that it was the only choice. I just…wanted you to know that I…spoke out of emotion, out of hurt for what Benezia had become, for the end that had been forced upon her by Saren. I do not hate you."

Shepard nodded faintly, regarding the shot of whiskey she still had not drained. "I understand, Liara," she said at last. "I know you didn't mean it. I'm just…I wish there'd been another way. I wish that I had sent you back to the ship. You didn't deserve to see that."

"No…I am glad that I did," Liara replied quietly. "Do you remember us speaking…about regret? You were right. I am glad I had the chance to understand what had happened to her, to know why she was doing the things she was doing. I am glad that I got to hear the true Benezia once again, to know that she was proud of me…that I got the chance to say good-bye. I am grateful to you for that chance, Shepard. I shall never forget it."

The change was not drastic, but Liara could see the faint softening around Shepard's knit brows, the shift in her eyes. She might have said she knew that Liara hadn't hated her but…part of her, it seemed, had been afraid of it. Part of her, Liara suspected, had been telling herself that it was deserved.

Almost as an after-thought, Shepard finished the whiskey and set the glass down, before she finally stepped away from the small dresser and pulled out her desk chair, sitting in it. Scrubbing her hand over her face, she sighed, and then looked up and met Liara's eyes.

"I'd bring her back, if I could," she said softly. "But I promise you one thing, Liara. I will make Saren pay for what he did to her. However he's…he's _controlling_ people, I'll figure it out, put a stop to it."

"I know that you will."

"Did…you have any final arrangements you wanted to make?"

"I would like to send her back to Thessia," Liara stated, wondering how it was easier to talk about the final disposition of her mother's remains, than it was to broach the subject of her growing attachment to Shepard. "Put her to rest with our grandmothers."

"I'll have Joker put in a course back to the Citadel. I…you'll want to accompany her, I imagine…?"

Liara shook her head. "No, Commander…there are those on Thessia I trust to inter her as she deserves. My place is here, helping to insure this does not happen to someone else."

Shepard nodded again, and as she watched her, Liara did her best to steel herself for the conversation to come.

_Just be honest, as Kaidan said. Sincere. You can do this._

Confidence. It all came down to confidence. Even if she didn't feel it, she could fake it.

"Shepard…there was…_another_ reason I wanted to speak to you."

"Oh?" Shepard knit her brows, not quite able to translate the expression on Liara's face. Hesitation, uncertainty, and something else…fear?

_Liara's not_ afraid _of me, is she_?

Liara unconsciously wiped her palms on her knees again. She couldn't help but think this would be easier, if only Shepard had called her Tianlán again. It would have given her hope, an indication that the human commander was truly not angry with her, that she did still have at least some level of affection for her, even if only as friends.

She must have hesitated too long, because Shepard's face grew concerned, and she leaned forward a little. "Liara, what is it? What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry, Shepard…I am…uncertain how to proceed," she said honestly. "I am…afraid that you will think less of me, I…am afraid of your rejection."

Inwardly, she cringed. Honest, yes, but a great way to make Shepard feel even more guilty if she _did_ have to reject her!

"Hey…talk to me," Shepard urged worriedly. "Why would I think less of you?"

"I…" _Good Goddess, just get it out! _"As…as you know, asari have something of a reputation in the galaxy. As we are monogendered and capable of forming a pair-bond with any species or gender, and as there are no social taboos regarding sexuality in our culture, there is an outstanding belief among other races that we are somewhat…promiscuous. It is an undeserved reputation. While some young asari do, in fact, live a rather wild and…_varied_ existence, experiencing all the galaxy has to offer, it is no more common among our race than it is among the young adults of any of the other species."

Out of desperation, she'd reverted to what she was most comfortable with. Science.

"I am not terribly unusual among my culture, Shepard. I am a young adult at one hundred and six, and my self-imposed social isolation aside, it is quite common for an asari my age to be…inexperienced."

To say Shepard was confused was an understatement. "Is…someone hitting on you, Liara? Someone on the crew?"

Liara blinked. "Hitting…?"

"Flirting with you…uh, attempting to start a romantic entanglement? Is someone making you uncomfortable?"

"Oh. Oh! No…the crew has been very professional…no, I am…as I said, I am not the best at this. I have..."

She was unconsciously fiddling with her hem again, unable to make her hands stay still. Looking up, she forced herself to meet Shepard's gaze.

"Shepard, I find that I have…an _attachment,_ to you. I know that we have only known each other a very short while, but I find myself…thinking about you. Your happiness and your well-being is of increasing concern to me, as is your opinion. I fear that I will disappoint you or…that you will become indifferent to our friendship and I…it troubles me. I want you to be happy but…more, I want to make you happy. To know that…it was me who…"

Her face felt uncomfortably hot, and she knew she was blushing madly. There was no stopping now, however. She had to get it out, or she'd never manage to.

She cleared her throat faintly. "On Noveria, I admit I was…I was hurt, and angry at the death of Benezia. It was irrationally aimed at you, even though I knew it was not your fault. But then, when that civilian shot you…when I saw you go down I…for a moment I thought you were gone forever, that…that I would never speak to you again, that the last memory I would ever have of you was of telling you that I hated you…that I'd never be able to apologize. I…"

Emotion made her voice crack and she halted, trying to get back under control again. As she did, Shepard looked at her with worry.

"Liara," she murmured softly.

"I…am not a child, Shepard," Liara lifted her head, once more under control. "I know that I am young, that I am new to these things but, I do not want you to feel as if you owe me anything. You have become very important to me, and I find myself hoping…that someday, we might become more than friends. But I understand if you do not feel the same way. Humans are not like asari, and you will not hurt my feelings if you tell me that it is impossible. I simply…felt that it was important that you know the truth, to know that I do not hate you. Far from it."

There was so much more she wanted to say, but she had lost her steam and simply fell silent, looking downward as her fingers twiddled unbidden with her hem, as a child might while waiting for a lecture from a parent.

She heard Shepard rise, heard the tink of glass, the faint pouring sound of liquid. Then the commander drew near, crouching and touching the glass of whiskey to Liara's fingers. Almost mechanically, the young asari took the glass, lifted it to her mouth.

"All in one gulp," Shepard ordered, and Liara obeyed, swallowing the contents in a single mouthful. She coughed faintly, the foreign taste stronger than she had expected…though nowhere near as strong as pris para. Oddly enough, the tightness in her chest seemed to warm and ease.

"Feel better?"

"Yes," she admitted, and bobbed her head. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Liara, look at me."

This was it. She had to be prepared for anything Shepard said.

Lifting her eyes she squared her shoulders slightly. Shepard, at least, didn't look angry…or repulsed. She just looked concerned.

Then Shepard got to her feet, stepping back to her work station chair again before sitting. Leaning forward, she clasped her hands in front of her. "I think," she said after a moment, "that part of me knew it. I think I could sense it a little, you know? Didn't really think on it but…it seemed natural. Well, I don't know if it's the same with asari but with humans, sometimes you can meet someone and with barely even talking to them, there's something about them that just totally gets your hackles up, you know? Some personality clash that makes everything they do grate on your nerves, deserved or not. And sometimes, it's the opposite. You meet someone and just feel…comfortable. Like you've known each other for years."

Liara didn't interrupt, watching Shepard as she formulated her thoughts.

"I haven't had that happen very often," Shepard admitted. "Most of the time I was just trying to survive. Found it hard to trust people…still do, I guess. Paul was…different. We just clicked, understood one another. Wasn't romantic of course, more like a brother than anything else but…that comfort was there. Until I met you that was the only time I ever really just…_trusted_ someone. Everyone else had to earn it."

She shrugged, shaking her head. "I don't know. Maybe it was how you helped me with the visions. Maybe it was being forced to open up to someone else in a way I never did before…the fact you never judged me or…seemed repulsed by what you saw in my head. I guess I never dared think that I'd get that kind of acceptance. But…truth be told, Tianlán, I feel it too. Enough that I turned around like an FNG and put my back to an active threat when you started falling."

Liara felt like her heart was thundering a thousand beats per second, and she had clasped her hands tightly together to hide their trembling. "But…why?" she asked softly. "I mean…why is it that I feel so close to you, after so short a time? We…have little in common. You are confident, strong, decisive...a soldier. I am a scientist, a…_brainiac_ to use one of Joker's colorful terms. I-"

"Hey, don't you _ever_ doubt your own strength, Liara," Shepard said sternly. "I didn't see Alenko or Williams jumping out of that MAKO to help me fight a thresher maw one on one. You faced maddened insects, rampant geth, a whole security platoon _and_ idiotic bureaucrats right alongside me, without flinching. You're smarter than I ever hope to be, you're compassionate, understanding…you have a good heart, remember? Look. Who knows why this ever happens? Sometimes it just…_does_, and you get swept up in the chaos."

"Yes, _chaotic_…that is a very good word to describe my life of late," Liara admitted, then smiled when Shepard grinned.

"You're telling me."

"I was afraid that you would…well, I didn't dare hope that you might feel the same," Liara admitted. "It seems too good to be true, I…"

She held her up her hands in surrender. "No…there I go, overanalyzing. Shepard, I just want you to know that I do not wish to pressure you in any way. I…am not used to these kinds of feelings and so much is going on…"

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," Shepard replied. "There's no rush. Let's just see what happens, ok? Might be in a few more weeks you won't be able to stand the sight of me."

Liara blinked, then nodded sagely. "Indeed, I sense that I may actually find you completely disgusting given sufficient time in your company."

Shepard tossed off that lopsided smirk, then laughed. Liara ducked her head a little, a happy little smile coming to her face that she half-hid under her hand.

"Well, I'll try not to belch and scratch myself too much then," Shepard winked. Liara shook her head, still smiling.

"Thank you, Shepard. For listening," she said. "How is your head? It hasn't started hurting again?"

"No. Head's been fine. Rest of me aches pretty good still but that's nothing. Headaches haven't come back."

"Good. I…should leave you to rest. You still have some recuperation needed…I don't want you to press yourself too hard."

"Psh. Please. I'm going stir crazy. I can think of worse fates than talking to you."

"No, I will not be responsible for any delay in your healing," Liara insisted, getting to her feet. "I should go. If you would like, however…I can come back later?"

"Sure. Sounds like a plan."

Going over to the door, Liara paused, then looked back. "I…I will see you later."

"I'll be here, Tianlán."

Stepping out, Liara waited until she heard the door slide shut behind her before blasting out a breath of relief, a small smile creeping over her face.

* * *

><p>The simulated sunlight struck even here, on the docking bay floor. Shepard watched as it reflected off the smooth curve of the hover-casket as the two privates carefully guided it out of the <em>Normandy's<em> cargo bay. Liara followed it, quiet and solemn, but her eyes were dry.

Once the casket was clear of the ship, the cargo doors began to slowly close. Shepard went over to Liara and murmured, "The transport to Thessia is prepared to receive her. They're just one docking bay over. I'll walk with you."

"Thank you, Shepard," Liara murmured.

"Might want to rethink that, Skipper," Ashley broke in, striding over from the direction of the airlock. Shepard straightened, narrowing her eyes a little.

"Why is that, Chief?"

"Joker just gave me a heads-up. Apparently there's a circus waiting for you, ma'am. The dock to Thessia is clear, but the corridor between where we are and where we're going is flooded with reporters and gawkers. First human Spectre and all, escorting an asari matriarch that died under 'mysterious circumstances', all these rumors of the geth and Eden Prime…it's a mess, ma'am."

"Where the hell is C-Sec?"

"They've got a presence but their only directive is to keep order, not keep them out of your face. The LT suggests we put our own men through to clear out the crowd-"

"That _will_ start a damn circus," Shepard scowled. "And Udina will ride up my ass even further than he's already going to. Shit. Liara does _not_ need this right now-"

"I will be fine, Commander," Liara told her firmly. "It is only a short distance, and I am not concerned with reporters."

"I will come along, Commander," Tali spoke up from nearby. "Help run interference."

Shepard made a frustrated, yet commiserating sound. "All right, Ash, here's how it's going to play. Get Wrex, Garrus, and Alenko. I want Wrex in front as a breakwater…maybe he can scowl some of them into submission. You and Alenko will flank the casket with the privates, Tali, and Liara. Garrus and I will take up the rear. Hopefully we can get through with a minimum of noses broken."

"Yes ma'am," Ashley agreed, then headed off.

"I do not have to stay in the middle," Liara said. "I can remain in the rear with you."

"I'm going to get swamped, Tianlán," Shepard shook her head. "Right now, the less _you_ are swamped the better. You've gone through enough without having mics or hover-cams shoved into your face. You stay in the middle and let Ash, Tali and Alenko run interference."

Liara reluctantly agreed, and only a few minutes later they were leaving the quiet, secure Alliance dock and entered into the midst of anarchy.

C-Sec was there, all right…forming a thin breakwater between the mass of civvies and the small handful of marines trying to simply get one dock over. Hover-cams loomed like vultures, bright lights glaring in everyone's eyes as the reporters tried to shove to the fore. Barely had they become visible than the air filled with cries of "Commander Shepard! Commander Shepard!" and a rush of "Dr. T'Soni!"

"Just stay here by me," Ash murmured to Liara, fixing a patented Marine 'dirty glare' at anyone who managed to get close. Liara kept her head down, saying nothing, not even looking at the reporters as she walked, one of her hands on the casket. Tali stayed close, putting her hand lightly on Liara's back in a comforting gesture.

While the tide parted a bit in front of Wrex, it simply swirled around and closed again when it came to Shepard. Almost immediately she found herself nearly cut off from the others, more than a dozen small mics shoved her way, faces crowding in.

"Commander Shepard, can we get a few words from the first human Spectre?"

"Commander Shepard, is it true that the matriarch was working with you covertly in a mission that went wrong?"

"Commander, what are the ties of the matriarch with the supposed geth sightings?"

"Commander! Commander, how do you address concerns that you are, in fact, _not_ competent to stand as the first human Spectre and that your instatement is simply the Council's way of setting humanity up to fail?"

Shepard had been doing a rather admirable job of tuning the roar of questions out, but at the last one she couldn't help a stern glare in the direction of the asker. Her ever present temper wanted to rise, and her hand curled briefly into a fist. The reporter seemed to sense that Shepard was about to answer her and leaned in eagerly…only to be steered back again Garrus, who wisely decided to intervene before their was a brawl.

Shepard turned away, shouldering her way through the reporters (rather more gently than she really wanted to) and batting a hover-cam away from her face as they neared the access to the next dock.

Though it was a public dock, not a privately secure one such as the _Normandy_ was in, C-Sec had sealed it off to keep the reporters out. The line of officers deactivated the blockade long enough for the small party to pass through, halting the pursuing reporters that tried to duck in on their heels before reactivating it. In the mess, however, they missed a single hover-cam that zipped in low at its operator's behest, sliding in unseen at Shepard's heels.

The tumult dimmed as they entered the dock. The asari captain of the ship that was to take the casket to Thessia was standing just outside the airlock. Wrex, Ash, and Alenko fell back a little as she approached Liara with a solemn nod.

"My deepest condolences, Dr. T'Soni," she said gently. "Matriarch Benezia was a great woman, a good leader, and she will be sorely missed."

"Thank you, Captain," Liara murmured, accepting the offered handshake.

"We will bear her with all dignity, I assure you," the captain nodded, then gestured toward the cargo hold of her small transport. "If you would like a moment before we move her on board?"

"Yes, thank you," Liara replied. The Captain stepped discreetly back, as did the others. Unseen, the sneaky hover-cam lifted to a good vantage by the door of the bay, zooming in to film as Liara neared the casket, resting her hand on its smooth surface.

"Good bye, mother," she murmured softly. "I pray you find peace in the arms of the Goddess. I…"

She broke off, hanging her head silently a moment, before her fingers slipped off the casket and she stepped back. Shepard touched her arm lightly as the crewmen from the transport came forward to guide Benezia into the cargo hold.

Then, to Liara's surprise, Shepard suddenly cleared her throat and barked an order of attention. Instantly, Garrus and the marines snapped too, Wrex and Tali following a second later. Almost as one, all eight- Shepard, Wrex, Tali, Garrus, Alenko, Williams, and the two privates – lifted their hands to their foreheads, saluting.

Liara felt tears heating her eyes. Benezia was not a marine, not a soldier…not even human. She had, up until very recently, been considered an enemy of these people, and yet there they were, honoring her as they would one of their own that had passed.

Feeling her throat thicken, Liara drew herself up as well. Though she was no soldier herself, she lifted her hand in mimicry, saluting her mother as she was quietly guided into the cargo bay and out of sight.

As the bay slowly closed, Shepard barked another order and the marines instantly shifted to parade-rest. Liara lowered her head, wiping discreetly at her eyes. When she felt the hand on her shoulder she looked up into brown eyes.

"Thank you, Shepard," she whispered, managing to smile. "Thank you."

Beyond her in the corner, the silent hover-cam watched with uninvited intensity.

* * *

><p>The temples and nape of Udina's neck sparkled lightly with sweat, veins in his temples throbbing. Tipping a bottle of analgesics he tapped two into his palm. Ever since Eden Prime, he'd been popping the things like candy. He was halfway tempted to take out stock in Prosperus Pharmaceuticals…and the Gold Iron brewery. He'd been downing their brandy almost as often as he'd been downing the pain meds.<p>

As he heard his office door open he dropped the bottle on the desk, slapping the pills into his mouth and snatching up his glass of water, draining it as he glared at the one who had just entered.

Shepard. The bitch was all muscle, no brains. The idea of humans having a Spectre, of having more say with the Council…that was meant to give humanity an _edge_, prove what they could do in the galactic community. It was supposed to secure their future. Instead, Shepard had managed to turn herself into a media circus, to toss political blowback in his face so thick he'd need to shovel for the next ten years to clear breathing room. And Anderson…Anderson was no goddamn help, excusing her actions…even lauding them.

_Damn soldiers. Stupid primates…all of them. Not a single one of them has any vision, any common sense. Shoot and hit, that's all they know. If left to it alone they'd probably take to flinging their own feces and beating the ground with their knuckles_.

"Shepard," Anderson actually smiled as he rose out of his chair, nodding toward the woman that had entered.

_Woman, that's a laugh, _Udina thought._ There's not a damn thing feminine about her. Look at her. She could have had a chance once, could have been beautiful, one of the elite. Cocktail dresses, stylish hair, make-up…that's where she belongs. Hanging on some rich man's arm at a fundraiser, minding her place. Instead she's nothing but a thug…an Alliance trained thug that probably spits and scratches her crotch in mixed company._

"Shepard," Udina's greeting was not nearly so pleasant. "It's about time. We sent for you two hours ago-"

"My watch must be broken," she replied dryly, only making his headache worsen.

"Oh, it's nice to see you making jokes," he grumped back angrily. "Is that what all this is to you? A joke? What is it you think you are doing out there?"

"I don't know, but I suspect you have a list," she retorted.

"Shepard," Anderson soothed, more than aware of the hostility growing in the air. "We have your reports. I'm sorry about what happened on Noveria. How is Dr. T'Soni doing?"

"She's upset, but she's managing," the marine replied. "She's just as determined as we are to stop Saren."

"I'm sorry about that media mess outside the docking bay," Anderson offered. "Neither of you should have been ambushed like that."

"It comes with the territory," Udina sniped. "The first human Spectre…a minor celebrity back on Earth and in the colonies…you will have to learn to deal with it, Commander. It won't go away."

Then his eyes narrowed. "At least, you _were_ a 'minor' celebrity until recently."

"What do you mean?"

Touching his console, Udina accessed a live news feed from the extranet and transferred it to the large wall projector, before jabbing a finger at it. "I mean your popularity has grown, and not in a _good_ way. I mean _this_."

A newsfeed appeared, the hovering 3D ticker holding the logo of TNN Intergalactic, one of the largest news organizations serving both dirtside Earth and the majority of the colonies. An anchor and two reporters were having a split screen discussion, each near-holographic image hovering in its own partition. The anchor was in a traditional 'office' environment with a large galactic map hovering behind him. The first reporter had a generic landscape background behind her, a 3D caption beneath her image identifying her as _Louisa Francini of_ _Veridian Broadcast_. The third seemed to be reporting from somewhere on the Citadel, her caption reading _Kalisah bin Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News_.

A fourth box was showing stock images and vids of Shepard herself…her enlistment photo in front of the Alliance flag, images taken of her receiving her medal and commendation after Torfan, some close-up of her face from a place and time she didn't really recognize.

The anchor was in the middle of a sentence when the images kicked on, mediating between the two reporters which seemed less than happy in their argument with each other.

"…uh, _three_ commendations for going above and beyond the call of duty. If she had not been elected as the first human Spectre, would your take be any different?"

"Not in the slightest," the reporter on the Citadel touted, eyes gleaming. Shepard recognized her as the one who had asked if she was merely the Council's way of setting humanity up to fail. "We are not being told the whole story…the Alliance would prefer to sweep the truth under the rug, to present her as some shining icon rather than the person, the soldier, she truly is."

"Please, enlighten us as to who she _truly_ is," the other reporter, Francini, challenged. "We have an elite, N7 trained marine who has received three commendations and two medals for her services in the fleet. We have-"

Speaking over her, al-Jilani raised her voice. "What we _have_ is an unstable, _violent_ personality who should not be in _uniform_, let alone representing humanity to the Council! We have _more than one_ demonstration of her temper and callous disregard for life. Her tribunal records are no secret, or need I remind you that she executed _unarmed_ men-"

"You're dusting off the old 'Butcher of Torfan' chestnut again," Francini huffed. "Shepard's actions on Torfan were scrutinized by an Alliance tribunal and the records are public…she was cleared of _any_ wrong-doing-"

"I consider shooting unarmed civilians as _wrong-doing_-"

"Slavers," Francini emphasized. "Need I really remind you? They were _slavers_ who had slaughtered an entire colony, took down a platoon of marines, kidnapped, brainwashed and raped chil-"

"_Allegedly_," al-Jilani countered hotly, "or is due process no longer a consideration? The right to trial? It's all right to deny them basic organic legal rights simply because they were batarian-"

"There is _no proof_ that Shepard's actions were in _any way_ contingent upon their race-"

"Ladies, ladies, I'm going to have to calm you down a bit, get you back on track," the anchor interceded. "al-Jilani, we only have a few minutes left so please, sum up your position if you will."

"Gladly," she replied. "It is my belief that Shepard was instated as a Spectre to be little more than a shill for the Council. On the one hand they can look like they're taking humanity's position and considerations seriously, but by choosing a marine with a questionable past, an undeniably unstable personality, they have laid the table. When she fails spectacularly…and mark my words, she _will_…the Council will be able to use it as an excuse to discredit our entire race and prevent any more commiserations to humanity for the next one hundred years. Shepard is, plain and simple, the perfect scapegoat to prove that we are _not_ ready for further galactic responsibility. Look…look here-"

She accessed her omni-tool, and as she did the streaming images of Shepard in the fourth partition were replaced by video.

"This sums up my position perfectly. This vid was taken of Commander Shepard herself just two hours ago."

The corridor between docking bays appeared, the audio filled with shouted questions and calling voices that overlapped to the point few were distinguishable. The image focused on Shepard, surrounded by the crowd of reporters and nearly cut off from her crew. Al-Jilani's voice could be heard, shouting her question as the picture swung in close.

Shepard's reaction to the question could be easily seen. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she looked toward al-Jilani, her hand fisted.

"You see?" al-Jilani touted over the vid. "It is _plain_ on her face, and look how she clenches a fist! Her first instinct is always to do violence. If she comports herself this way to _civilians_, what does that say about her character? And there-"

The image swung in close to Shepard. Her hand could be seen lifting, and then the image jarred, sweeping away to the side before the shot ended.

"In case you missed it," al-Jilani continued sarcastically. "_That_ was her hitting the hover-cam away. Violent, yet again. Makes one wonder what she's hiding."

The anchor turned his head. "Louisa Francini? We have just enough time for your retort."

"Thank you. Perhaps I need to remind you, Ms. Al-Jilani, of exactly _what_ was going on when that vid you just showed was taken? Shepard and her crew were escorting the body of a well-respected asari matriarch to another launch-pad to be returned home to Thessia. The matriarch's daughter, Dr. Liara T'Soni, was in attendance. You want to talk about compassion and humanity? Then perhaps you shouldn't have asked such an inflammatory question at that time, or sent your hover-cam right into her face like that. _Anyone_ would have been upset…I don't think that makes Shepard a monster, it makes her undecidedly human. And if I can show a vid of my own?"

She tapped her omni-tool, accessing the fourth partition. "This was sent to me by a friend, a civilian, on the Citadel, and was filmed during the same transfer as Ms. Al-Jilani's segment. This civilian managed to get their own hover-cam into the secure dock and captured a rather remarkable, rather _telling_ image on camera."

The vid started to play. It began on a close-up of Liara's fingers touching the casket that held her mother's remains, before the image drew back enough to show her sorrowful expression. It paused there a moment, drawing back once again as Liara stepped away from the casket. Stabilizing, the image now showed Shepard and her crew as the asari got back to her side.

Shepard barked an order, and almost as one everyone in the shot saluted the casket. The raw emotion on Liara's face as she took this in, and then joined it with a shaky salute of her own, was palpable.

"Do you know what I see here? I don't see a monster, a shill, or a butcher prone to violence. I see here one of Earth's finest marines, showing respect and compassion to someone not even of her race. Look…_look_ at that line up. Asari. Human. Krogan. Turian. Quarian. All standing shoulder to shoulder, as _equals_, in cooperation. I see the perfect embodiment of what humanity needs to become to survive, even thrive, in this galactic community; a force that can inspire cooperation and understanding in all those around them, regardless of race."

As the vid ended, Francini looked directly at her own camera, eyes intent. "Commander Shepard, if you're listening, I want to _personally_ thank you. Despite the doubters and the nay-sayers, the skeptics and the haters, I want you to know that there are billions who know the truth. You are an inspiration to us all, Commander. Our hopes and all our prayers go with you."

"Powerful stuff," the anchor said, then overrode al-Jilani as she tried to speak again, muting her feed. "Well, that's all the time we have for now, we-"

He cut off as Udina ended the feed. Shepard, who had been watching quietly, looked downward a moment before schooling herself.

"That blackballing is happening on every major news network and every extranet feed from Earth to the Traverse," Udina spat. "And your actions are not helping matters-"

"Did you and I just watch the same report?" Anderson demanded, surprised. "Everyone knows al-Jilani is all about controversy…that woman would manage to dig up dirt on the Pope and make him look like he strangles babies as a hobby. She-"

"We cannot afford _any_ negativity," Udina interrupted angrily. "Especially not when it's _true_. I-"

A flashing on his console drew his attention, and he managed to both pale and redden at the same time. "Just…perfect. The Council wishes to speak to you immediately Commander. This just gets better and better."

Without awaiting a response he accepted the call, the holographic pads lighting as the images of the Councilors appeared.

Tevos wasted no time and made it clear that she was in much the same mood as Udina. "Commander Shepard, I certainly hope we can speak like civilized people. I do not appreciate being cut-off, it is not even remotely amusing."

"Do you realize what you've _done_?" her turian companion snarled before Shepard even had a chance to respond. "_Rachni_, Commander? You encountered rachni on Noveria and _released a queen_? Do you realize how dangerous they are? How many generations until they over-run the galaxy?"

"I'm sorry, Councilor. Contrary to apparent popular belief I'm actually _not_ comfortable with committing genocide on an entire species, but next time I'll remember to ask myself what _you_ would do, and wipe them all out."

"_Commander_!"

The word blurted from three throats at the same time…angrily from the turian's and Udina's, and with a groan of frustration from Anderson's.

"I made a call," Shepard said sternly. "The queen was different. She understood why the rachni were wiped out before, why her Children had to be eliminated. I don't regret letting her go, and I'd do it again."

"I just hope your choice doesn't bring suffering," Tevos replied. "Your report also mentioned something about Lady Benezia and mind-control?"

"Yes. I believe she was being manipulated against her will by Saren-"

"Is that what _she_ told you?" The turian snorted. "You were about to kill her, Shepard. Rather than face her crimes, of _course_ she tried to plead innocent. I'm amazed you fell for it. It doesn't speak much to your intelligence that you did."

"Captain Anderson, my apologies," Shepard turned to her old friend. "I have quite a lot of work to catch up on, I should really not delay."

"Commander, do _not _walk out on us," Tevos glared firmly. "You cannot blame us for being skeptical. Mind-control seems impossible."

"Space flight seemed impossible to each of our species at one point or another too," Shepard shot back. "Be skeptical all you want, but I do not appreciate being spoken to like I'm an idiot. I have a job to do."

"Our apologies, Commander," the salarian spoke for the first time, sounding almost languid amidst his companions' emotion. "But you must understand your actions have far reaching consequences, both for your people and others across the galaxy. You can sympathize as to why we might question the release of a proven dangerous species, but we cannot expect you to destroy life unnecessarily, either."

The turian huffed his clear disagreement but did not speak again.

"Someday, Councilors, you're going to have to learn to trust me," Shepard told them. "Or is what that reporter is saying true…that you appointed me a Spectre simply to give yourselves an excuse to keep our people in their place?"

"Of course it's not true," Tevos actually sounded offended.

"Then _act_ like it. The Reapers are a real threat, Saren is out there and there isn't a race in this galaxy that is safe. I'm trying to fix it. The least you could do is have my back."

"That will be all, Commander. I will see that Udina get any further information we obtain on Saren or geth movements," Tevos replied neutrally. "And I did want to thank you."

"Really?" Shepard asked skeptically.

"Yes. I saw the vid of what you did for the matriarch. It was…very honorable of you, and you have my humble gratitude on behalf of all my people for the gesture."

Most of Shepard's ire had burnt out, and at this her shoulders loosened a little. She nodded.

"You're welcome."

_I didn't do it for you or your people_, was what she'd nearly said. _I did it for Liara_.

As the holographs faded out, Udina slumped back in his chair, cradling his head. Ignoring him, Shepard looked at Anderson.

"The _Normandy_ will be in dock until tomorrow morning."

"Understood," he replied, then lowered his voice, looking at her intently. "Shepard, I know it's difficult, but you need to get a handle on that temper. Being rude to the Council isn't the best way to go to earn allies. Though for what it's worth, I've wanted to go off on them a time or two myself."

Shepard snorted, a faint smirk appearing. He smiled as well.

"I think you did the right thing with the rachni, and I think what you did on the landing pad was…well, what Francini said is true. It was a remarkable thing, Commander, and I am honored to have seen it. I know you will fight the good fight. I'll…continue trying to work on the Council, get them to understand the true magnitude of the threat we're facing."

"I know you will, sir. I appreciate it."

"Just…try not to hit any more hover-cams or mouth off to any reporters, no matter how much they deserve it."

Shepard said nothing, just took a step back and saluted, before turning and striding out of the office.


	9. Chapter 9

The volus moved through the crowded bar confidently, occasionally bobbing faintly in time with the music. Voices lifted in laughter and shouted conversations, the tink of glasses and rattle of dishes all formed a swirling cacophony beneath the thundering band.

He saw the human woman fairly quickly, leaning on the bar and shouting her order at the bartender in a bid to be heard. Her loose black hair reached her shoulders, one foot propped on the rest of a barstool caused delightful emphasis to the curve of her posterior. He had to see her face to be sure, of course, but it didn't take much weaving to attain a vantage to verify her identity.

As she waited for her drinks, the volus smoothly reached her side.

"Well, hello there Earth-Clan. I'm surprised. I wasn't expecting to see such loveliness this evening."

The woman glanced around, then looked down at him with a surprised smirk. "Uh, you talking to me?"

"Indeed. My apologies, I know that I am unworthy to address such grace but, duty compels me."

"Ok," she smirked, bemused. "Duty…?"

"My employer has a message she wanted me to personally deliver. I heard there were some of your crew here and hoped to seek one out…and here I find the woman herself, glowing like a goddess among such hedonism. Oh, forgive me, my charming lady. My name is Yoh Etat."

He sketched a fairly graceful bow, given his ponderous environmental suit.

She couldn't decide if this volus was for real. "I…you have a message for me?"

"Indeed. You…are Commander Shepard, are you not?"

The woman barked a laugh, then shook her head. "Oh! No. No, my name is Williams. I'm on her crew, but I'm _not_ the commander."

"Really? But I was sure…you have such an aura of greatness, of command about you."

"Yeah…uh…getting kind of deep, isn't it?" Ash asked with a smirk as her drinks arrived. "Yoh, was it? If you've got a message for Shepard she's right over there, sitting with the asari and the turian. Gotta warn you though, she's in a bad mood-…you're not a reporter are you?"

He shook his head. "Merely a messenger," he replied, straining enough to spot the commander through the crowd. "Hmm. She pales in comparison to you."

"Seriously…are you hitting on me?" Ash asked, still amused.

"Truth be told, I know that I could never hope to turn your head," he answered charmingly. "But…I would be amiss if I did not at least ask you for drinks later this evening? Somewhere quiet? You are the most alluring Earth-Clan I have ever seen."

She picked up the tray. "Alluring am I? Yeah, I've got duty first thing, and we're shipping out so…I'm afraid I'm going to have to turn down your offer. That, and I think talking to you longer than five minutes would give me cavities."

"I shall lament forever," Yoh replied, sagging sadly, swooning dramatically. "I shall never recover!"

Ashley chuckled, then turned a little. "I'm sure you'll get over it. C'mon Romeo, this way."

"Picking up strays?" Garrus asked with some amusement, as Ashley returned with a round of beer and a volus waddling along at her heels. "I thought only the Commander was allowed to do that."

Shepard tipped her swagman up a little. She'd been slouched back in her seat, hat all but covering her face. Though she had not shared specifics, her silence and obviously irritated mood had proven to the others that her meeting with Udina had not been the most pleasant. Fortunately, her moving around the station in her civvies seemed to render her almost invisible to the media. Liara shuddered to think what would happen if a reporter actually recognized the commander in her scuffed jeans and her battered swagman, and tried to stop her for an interview.

"Shepard, this is Yoh Etat," Ashley introduced as she set down the tray. Given they were leaving first thing in the morning, beer was the only thing they were indulging in, even Shepard…and that only moderately. "Says he's got a message for you."

"I was paid to deliver this to you, Earth-Clan," the volus intoned, passing her a small message pad. "Though the few minutes I have spent in the company of this vision of beauty, in truth, would have been payment enough."

"That's sweet," Liara stated as Ashley rolled her eyes, sitting down.

"Yeah, I'm on the verge of diabetes."

Shepard looked at the message, then snorted, tossing it down in front of the volus again. "Some arrogant corporate stuff-shirt thinks she can summon me like a puppy? I don't think so."

"I understand the issue is of some urgency."

"Yeah? Not urgent enough she could actually include it in the message," Shepard snorted. "Look. You tell her she wants to talk to me, she can go through proper channels, call me direct on the _Normandy_, and explain herself. I'm not going to jump to the whim of some politico I've never even heard of, just because she snaps her fingers."

"As you wish," Yoh replied, taking up the pad again, before he turned to Ash and bowed once more. "I'm afraid here is where we part. Try not to lament too much for me, my darling."

"I'll do my best and manage somehow," Ashley replied dryly, then giggled as the volus wandered away.

"What was _that_ all about?" Garrus asked, looking at Shepard. She pulled out her cigar case, having purchased some more smokes almost immediately upon leaving Udina's office. As she lit one she shook her head.

"No idea. Message had some diplomatic emissary's letterhead, some…Nassana Dantius. Basically said nothing besides 'you will meet me at this time and this place'. No explanation, no request, just an order. Screw that."

"Yeah, kind of arrogant," Ashley agreed. Garrus looked at the chief.

"Well, it wasn't all bad," he said. "If not for that message, you wouldn't have met that charming volus."

"Hey, I can't help it that volus find me attractive," Ashley retorted. "They've got good taste. I-"

"Shepard, what is wrong?" Liara interrupted, setting down her glass as she caught sight of the commander.

Shepard was looking across the room, an expression on her face the likes of which none of them had seen before…a look of taut, grit-toothed fury. It was the first time Ash could actually imagine their commander as the Butcher of Torfan.

The chief half expected to see Saren himself across the room as she tried to follow Shepard's gaze. Instead, she saw only the shifting crowd, no one sticking out in any meaningful way.

"Shepard?"

Wordlessly, the commander pushed her chair back and was on her feet, starting away from the table. Ash half rose as well, confused, but Liara suddenly looked alarmed, leaping to her feet as well.

"What's going on?" Ash asked her as they headed after the commander.

"The young man, in the coat with one sleeve," Liara answered breathlessly, then picked up speed. Ash trotted after, looking ahead and spying the man that Liara had mentioned.

He was against the bar, leaning cockily with a drink in one hand. There was nothing remarkable about him, save that his coat only had one sleeve. The other seemed to have been torn away, and the remaining sleeve had been painted or dyed a bright, scarlet red.

The young man did not seem to see Shepard coming. His head was turned, a half-smile on his face as he watched a group dancing nearby. He started when Shepard knocked the glass out of his hand.

"Hey! Wha-?"

She grabbed him by the front of the coat, hauling him in until their noses were only an inch apart.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she snarled, just as Liara got to her side. The asari immediately grasped Shepard's arm.

"Shepard, don't do this."

"Sh-Shepard?" the young man blinked in surprise, then oddly enough, grinned. "You grew _up_, didn't you?"

"Finch, I'm only going to ask this _one more time_," she barked. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Commander, what's going on?" Ash asked, looking between her pissed superior and the man she held in her grip.

"You going to put my teeth out, Shep?" Finch smirked. "I saw the news vids of you earlier today. Maybe that al-Jilani is right. Maybe you _are_ violent and unstable…might as well prove her point in front of all these people, hmm?"

Shepard tensed and Liara gripped her arm harder. "Shepard, don't," she urged.

"Or maybe I should arrest you," Shepard spat back, ignoring the asari. "I'm a Spectre, Finch. I can take you out of here, nice and quiet…to some corner where _no one_ is going to hear a single scream come out of your mouth."

For the first time, the fellow looked a little alarmed, and his eyes slid over to Garrus and Ashley. "You gonna let her do that?"

"Chances are, if she wants to, she's got a good reason," Garrus returned without sympathy.

"Ok! Ok, look," Finch lifted his hands weakly. "I came to the Citadel to find you. Sperry sent me, wants me to cut you a deal."

"Sperry is a delusional lunatic!"

"Hear me out, Shep," Finch said quickly. "You're a hotshot, right? Decorated Alliance, first human Spectre…but you used to be one of us, you dig? You'll _always_ be one of us. Sperry thinks you owe us a favor or two, for letting you leave, letting you join up. And he's feeling gracious, he said. Being you're family and all, maybe he'll see to it that certain information doesn't land in certain ears, so long as he still feels you _are_ family, dong ma?"

"_Letting_ me leave?" Shepard all but hissed, pressing him back harder until the edge of the bar dug into his back painfully. "Let me give _you_ a little message, Finch. You take this back to Sperry. That little piece of pig shit can say whatever he likes to whoever he wants. Tell the whole galaxy that I used to be a Red, I don't care. I'll tell you what I _do_ care about, Finch. Paul Salgado."

"You gonna start crying about that again?" Finch asked smugly. "Court let Sperry and the others off. There was no proof-"

"You might want to read up on what a Spectre _is_," Shepard told him, her voice suddenly ice-cold. "Might want to have Sperry read up on it too. You see, _I_ know that Sperry killed Paul. Court couldn't prove it, but that doesn't matter to _me_. What matters is that _I _know. Sperry and his boys beat him to death because he couldn't understand what they wanted, couldn't understand that they were looking for me. Paul died because Sperry is an arrogant, impatient little prick, and _I know it_. So go ahead, tell him to whine to the media about how I was a Red…big deal. And then ask him what he thinks _I'm_ going to do to _him_ for what he did to Paul. Ask him what he thinks a trained marine, a Spectre, _outside the law_, is _capable_ of doing to him."

Finch's face had gone gratifyingly pale, his eyes wide. Shepard stepped back, releasing her hold on him, her eyes sharp as daggers as they drilled a promise into his. She let Liara and Ashley urge her away, as Garrus glared down at the human.

Straightening, Finch fiddled with his coat, trying to straighten it, trying to hide the tremble in his hands. Spotting Garrus he frowned.

"What are _you_ looking at, turian?" he grumped.

Garrus smirked, then made a quick motion toward the human man, as if he meant to leap at him or strike him. Startled, Finch jumped back against the bar again.

Grinning, Garrus turned and followed his crew-mates away.

* * *

><p>Leaving the bar and the noise behind, Shepard strode with a determination fueled by her anger and not any real goal.<p>

She could not believe Sperry's nerve. The jackass was so used to being a big fish in his particular tiny little pond that he honestly thought he could blackmail a _marine_…a marine who _knew_ that he'd killed a boy as good as flesh and blood to her? He'd have been better off crawling under a rock and praying that Shepard never realized that he was still alive.

Liara kept pace with her, silent but supportive. She had gone unconsciously from gripping Shepard's arm to clinging to her hand as they walked, fingers entwined. Ashley, who had fallen back slightly to give the commander space and to wait for Garrus, noticed the hand-holding with a blink, and a raised eyebrow. Looking at Garrus as he reached her side, she saw an expression of bemused surprise there and realized he had seen as well.

Only a dozen yards from the bar, Shepard sat down on a public bench, elbows planted on her knees, eyes closed. Liara sat beside her, and looked worriedly at her friends as they approached.

"Skipper? You ok?" Ashley ventured.

"I'm fine," Shepard replied, then sighed. "My damn temper…"

"If you ask me, Commander, I think you did an admirable job containing it," Garrus pointed out. "He had every right to have a few less teeth to his name, after what he tried to pull."

"Yeah," Ashley agreed. "If it were me, I don't know that I'd have restrained myself as well as you did."

"_Restrained_," Shepard smirked mirthlessly. "That's a word that's rarely used where I'm concerned."

"I…won't pretend to know exactly everything that was about," Ash said. "And it's none of my business, truth be told, but…don't sweat it so much, Skipper. That guy was an idiot, plain and simple."

"Yeah, but I'm going to be hearing no end of it from Udina if the fact that the first human Spectre ran in a gang back on Earth lands in the wrong ear. My reputation already isn't the best. Might be just the thing needed to tip me right out of the Spectres and out of the Alliance altogether."

"Listen to yourself, Skipper. The Alliance isn't going to discharge a twice decorated N7 officer because she used to be in a gang as a _kid_. You're not running for president…for that matter, we've _had_ presidents with a shadier pasts than that. Some don't even leave it in the past but deal their worst dirt _while in_ office. Let folks like al-Jilani try and fling their agendas around…it doesn't change facts. And the facts are, you are a hero and a damn good soldier."

"Got a damn good crew too," Shepard agreed with a nod. "Thanks Ash."

"Hey, what can I say? I'm pretty fabulous."

"I think you've been listening to too many volus," Garrus teased, earning himself a light elbow in the gut from the gunnery chief.

"We'd best be getting back to the _Normandy_. Got an early enough morning." Shepard stood up, dusting her hands off on her jeans a moment.

Though Ash had, by now, seen Shepard in her civvies several times, it always amazed her the difference between the on-duty Shepard, and the off. On-duty Shepard was always professional, matter-of-fact, in a crisp and perfect uniform and stood square-shouldered, straight-backed.

Off-duty, she favored rumpled jeans, scuffed boots. She slouched, usually leaning on one leg with her other knee bent, hands in her back pockets, whenever she was standing. More often than not she had one of those cigars clenched in her teeth…though she was sure Shepard probably got lectured on her smoking every time she had to pass a physical. Seeing her dressed down, she looked reserved, retired, unthreatening, unnoticeable.

Her personality was the only thing that remained consistent. Whether in uniform or out of it, she had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, a leadership presence and…as she had just mentioned, something of a temper.

"We should cut through C-Sec," Garrus suggested as they continued on their way. Though Liara was trailing along close to Shepard, Ash noted there was no more hand-holding. "Take the elevator to the secure bays from there. I don't trust that those reporters aren't still lurking about in the main corridor."

The hour was not yet particularly late, however it was late enough that C-Sec was quiet and mostly empty when they arrived. It felt strange to Garrus to be in there again. It had been weeks now since he quit, but stepping through those doors it almost felt like he'd never left…and yet the place suddenly seemed so small.

The secure elevators that bypassed the docking corridors were at the far end of the lobby as they entered. They were halfway there when suddenly a hover-cam came zipping in from nowhere, circling the small group. Ashley blinked at it.

"What the hell's this?"

"Commander! Commander Shepard!"

A cooing voice called out and the group turned to see a woman striding their direction, the self-satisfied smile of a cat who had gotten into the cream on her face. Even had Shepard not seen the televised debate in Udina's office, she'd have recognized the woman from her rude behavior earlier in the day.

Garrus was the first to speak, scowling as the woman walked over. "What are you doing here? I was told the C-Sec offices were secured against reporters for the duration of the _Normandy_'s visit."

"Some officers understand the importance of free media," she answered smoothly.

"You mean, you _bribed_ someone to let you in," Garrus translated in disgust.

"Do you _always_ assume criminal actions when it comes to humans?" she asked, lifting her brows as she drew to a halt.

Garrus, who knew better than to answer that question or get defensive with that zippy little camera circling about, only scowled.

Shepard shook her head and then resumed her path toward the elevator. Abandoning the turian in favor of meatier prey, the reporter trotted after her. "Commander Shepard, please…may I have a word with you? Kalisah bin Sinan al-Jilani, _Westerlund News_."

"I know who you are," Shepard replied neutrally, without pausing. Taking her life into her own hands (and remarkably nimble for a civvie wearing a dress), al-Jilani darted in and blocked Shepard's path.

"I just want a moment of your time, Commander."

Shepard stopped, looking at her, but said nothing, simply stared at her with remarkable intensity. It was enough to make the reporter actually shift a little, uncomfortable.

Garrus started to step away, intending to go fetch one of his former colleagues to escort her out, when Ash reached out and caught his arm, shaking her head silently. The turian frowned, but held his ground.

"I appreciate you speaking with me," al-Jilani smiled, clearly thinking she'd won some sort of victory. The light from the hover-cam shone bright on Shepard's face. "There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the first human Spectre back home on Earth, and I would like to help put our viewer's minds at ease."

"I saw your debate with Ms. Francini," Shepard told her. "I believe everything that needed to be said was said."

"Surely you're not afraid of a little healthy _debate_, Commander," al-Jilani pointed out. "Unless of course you have something to hide? Given your personal and military history, Commander, do _you_ think that your appointment to the Spectres was appropriate? Isn't your obvious temper and your inclination to 'hit first' and ask questions later a liability when it comes to intergalactic relations with Earth? Don't you think that the Council may have instated you as a Spectre simply to prove that humanity wasn't ready for taking on greater responsibility in the universal community?"

With an almost glacial calmness, Shepard said, "I think that the fine citizens of the Alliance and its colonies are perceptive and intelligent enough not to take the mud-slinging, immature temper tantrums of a single person as gospel. A person, I might add, who thought it best to forward her _own_ agenda during the funerary transfer of a well-respected asari dignitary, in front of that dignitary's grieving daughter. If you'll excuse me, Ms. Al-Jilani, I am quite busy."

"Busy chasing rumors throughout the Traverse?" she retorted, not allowing Shepard to step past. "It was my understanding you were to be chasing a former Spectre, dismissed from his post for the attack on Eden Prime and the loss of human lives...not looking for fairy tales linked to the long dead Prothean culture."

"Ms. Al-Jilani, I think we've established that 'your understanding' of things and the actual _truth_ of them, are far separated," Shepard answered without missing a beat. "I have work to do, and it's getting late…well past your bed-time, I'm sure."

She stepped around her and into the elevator, Liara and the others following suit. Al-Jilani scowled.

"Earth deserves to know the truth, Commander…to see you as you really are. You cannot hide from them forever. You-"

She was cut off as the doors snapped shut, the lift moving swiftly upwards.

* * *

><p>"I'm tellin' ya," Ash shook her head as she polished her boot, sitting on the bench in front of her locker. Alenko was leaning on his, arms folded as he listened to her. "They were holding hands. Garrus saw it to, looked just as surprised as I was."<p>

"You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Alenko asked.

"Hardly," she retorted, sounding almost offended. "This isn't the twentieth, LT. Heard you had to be afraid of leaving your own house, back then, if people thought you might have that tendency. We live in slightly more enlightened times, I'd like to think. I just…hadn't pegged the commander for the type, that's all."

"Yeah, well…I was surprised too, when Liara came to me asking for advice."

Ash stopped her polishing and blinked at him. "She asked you for advice?"

"Yeah. Wanted to know how to court a human. I suggested flowers and candy…before I knew she meant Shepard." He shook his head with a chuckle, then lifted his hands. "We really shouldn't be talking about this. It's their business and deck-side gossip at its worst."

"Yeah, you're right. It's 0700 anyway, we should be leaving dock in the next thirty. I tell you what, I will _not_ be sad to get away from those vulture reporters. They-"

_{Lt. Alenko, you're needed in the CIC,}_ _Normandy_'s VI, a velvet yet bland female voice, intoned through the comm. He looked up with a shrug, straightening.

"Wonder what that's all about? I'll catch you later, Chief."

Heading upstairs to the CIC he found Shepard standing at the galaxy map with Pressley. As he walked over Shepard looked up and nodded.

"Lieutenant, I just received a message that Hackett is coming aboard briefly before we depart. He's heading up to the dock now. Help Pressley get everything squared for departure."

"Aye, ma'am."

Shepard headed toward the air lock, and as it opened to give her access to the dock she immediately caught sight of Hackett in his unmistakable blues, shoes polished to the nines and his admiral stripes gleaming. She saluted and he returned it with a faint nod, before holding out his hand.

"Commander Shepard, always good to see you."

"It's good to see you again too, sir," she answered, accepting the offered handshake.

"Sorry about the short notice, but I just got some news and wanted to catch you before you left dock. Shall we go aboard?"

As they entered the _Normandy_, she could see his steel grey eyes immediately taking everything in. Though he'd seen schematics and specs, and even visited the _Normandy_ while she was being constructed in dry-dock, this was his first time setting foot on her as an on-duty vessel. Salutes were tossed from left and right as the marines acknowledged the admiral walking at Shepard's shoulder.

"Ship hasn't given you any trouble?" he asked casually as they headed toward the comm room.

"_Normandy _is the fastest, quietest, most efficient ship I've ever served on," she told him. "She could fly circles around any ship in the fleet, sir…especially with Joker at the helm."

"He's a damn good pilot," he nodded. "And you've got a good crew."

"The best," she affirmed without hesitation. As they entered the comm room and the door shut behind them he paused and looked at her.

"They have a good commander, as well," he told her. "Shepard, I saw the news reports. I won't lie to you. Al-Jilani loves to stir up dirt and there are several smaller networks who have picked up that trend and run with it as far as you're concerned, but they _are_ a minority. That vid of you and your crew on the transport dock has spread like wildfire. It was an incredible gesture, and it captured what this galaxy _needs_ to be perfectly. People are behind you, Shepard. They know you'll do us and the galactic community proud."

"I hope I don't let them down, sir."

"You won't," he told her matter-of-factly. Turning, he walked slowly behind the ring of seats, his fingers dragging idly over the head-rest of one though he did not bother to sit down. "I remember a certain private in boot when I went through on an inspection. She had the chance to break the standing record on the live-fire obstacle course, but instead she went back to help a slower team-mate cross the finish line…practically carried him over it. That private could never let me down, nor could the commander she's become. You're one of the best soldiers I've ever had the privilege of knowing, Shepard."

"Thank you sir," she answered.

"Just the truth." He straightened, clasping his hands behind his back, indicating he was now all business. "Shepard, do you remember Admiral Kahoku? He enlisted your help to find a lost squadron of his men?"

"Of course, sir. I provided him with evidence taken off the planted emergency hail that lured them into a thresher nest. Has he come up with any leads?"

"Yes, he did. Turns out that transponder had been sold as surplus and can be traced to Cerberus agents. Kahoku departed to follow up a lead…and has gone missing."

"Missing?"

"More specifically, it seems he was taken under duress. It's being investigated but I'm not holding out much hope. There is not much you can do, Commander, but I thought you should know…and know the chances of someone coming after you next. You found the trap, after all, delivered the evidence to him. He just asked the questions."

"Understood, sir."

"Lastly, I have a report I wanted to bring to you in person. A small human colony on the planet Feros has suddenly dropped off the board. We've lost all communications. ExoGeni has a research facility there as well…they were funding the colony. That facility went dark at the same time as the colony. One of the last transmissions sent by the colony had the satellite image of a vessel that had breached their lower atmosphere security."

Drawing out a small data pad he handed it to her. She looked at the display, which showed a ship, unmistakable in its lines.

"That's a geth drop-ship," she murmured, then looked at him. "When did the colony go dark?"

"Just three hours ago. Being as the colony belongs to ExoGeni and not the Alliance directly, it will take a great deal of time to get approval to send our people out there to investigate…and ExoGeni is already digging its heels in against us, which smacks of illegal research they don't want us to know about."

"And whatever it is, Saren must want it," Shepard agreed. "Why else would geth care about some small research colony in the middle of nowhere?"

"My thoughts exactly. We cannot intervene, Shepard…but _you_ can."

"We'll head there immediately," she affirmed.

"Even at top speed, it's going to take two days," Hackett warned.

"Then I'd best not delay…not if we want people left to save."

* * *

><p>"Here's the colony, Commander," Joker gestured at his display. "They're established in this small tower of the ruin. ExoGeni's headquarters are here, in this tower just to the east. The two look like they're joined by a sky bridge. But here's the really fun part. My readings are showing a geth drop-ship is attached to the ExoGeni tower here, in a nice shady spot where we can't get clear line of sight to take it out."<p>

"Can you drop us on the sky bridge?"

"Too narrow to take a rover-drop directly, and even if it wasn't, there's active anti-aircraft on the top of the ExoGeni tower…no doubt under geth control now. They've got limited range, which means I can get you to the colony if they've got a secure place to land, but I won't be able to take _Normandy_ any closer than that."

"Then we go in on foot," she replied. "Any signs of life at the colony?"

"Yeah, that's what's strange. I'm showing their power and communications are down but there are at least a dozen humanoid life-signs showing within the colony. Can't get a close enough reading on the ExoGeni tower and there seems to be some kind of electromagnetic interference there anyway. My vote is, the colonists are still alive."

"Good, let's keep them that way. Bring us in low to the colony and find us a good parking spot."

"Yes ma'am, I got my handicap plates ready to go," he teased.

"Funny. You didn't hurt yourself with that one, did you Jok—what's this?"

As she'd turned to leave she'd spotted Joker's personal PDA sitting half-obscured near the console. As she reached out and picked it up he gave a nervous laugh.

"Uh…_yeah_, that's nothing, Commander."

"Nothing?" Shepard asked. Paused on the screen was a 2D animated vid. Cheap, clearly amateur, one figure in the vid was wearing N7 armor and looked familiar.

With her fingertip she scrolled back to the beginning of the vid and let it play. It was a simple, repetitive loop of a badly rendered Shepard and a second figure that, given the dialogue, was supposed to be al-Jilani. The cartoon Shepard was alternating firing a gun at the wildly hopping al-Jilani and actually kicking her if she got too close. al-Jilani was shouting ridiculous questions ('is it true you wear lacy bras?' and 'aren't your balls bigger than a turian?') and uttered high pitched squeaks whenever she was hit, her head popping up dramatically with each impact.

The cartoon Shepard was barking such witty one liners as 'you feel lucky, punk?' and 'I shit bigger than you' amidst the shouted questions.

Her finger stabbed the off-button. "Not exactly professional, Joker," she said sternly. He snatched back the PDA with his cheeks heating.

"Sorry, Commander, it won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't, or I'll bust you down to cleaning latrines."

She snapped around on her heel and as she began to stride off, a smirk grew on her face, a faint snort of laughter escaping before she could get her hand over her mouth.

_I shit bigger than you_.

"I heard that!" Joker called, and Shepard laughed, shaking her head as she continued on her way.

* * *

><p>As Shepard set foot on the second set of Prothean ruins she'd entered in her life, she concluded that Protheans seemed to like things very stark. The ruins on Therum, though half-swallowed by old volcanic rock, were utilitarian, sterile, gray with mostly straight lines, pragmatic. Here, she saw little to change her opinion. Everything was straight and gray and rough. She wondered if the Protheans had ever produced any art, if they had ever done anything for aesthetic value…or if this was their idea of beauty.<p>

_I'll have to ask Liara about it later_, she thought, and focused her attentions instead on the figure in the distance.

"Welcoming committee?" Garrus murmured at her heels. "He looks healthy enough, at least."

The human man was alone, and despite the turian's comment on health Shepard could see as they drew near that it wasn't entirely accurate. He looked tired, grayed out slightly like the rest of this place, as if the dust of the ruins had settled indelibly into his skin. His brow was pinched tensely, lips cracked. He wasn't armed in any way and for someone who was part of a colony that seemed to have endured geth attack and loss of communications, he seemed oddly indifferent to their arrival.

"Fai Dan wants to see you," he said simply as they got close enough to hear him.

"Who's Fai Dan?" Shepard asked warily.

"Runs things, he's in charge of the colony," the man replied laconically. "He wants to see you."

"He doesn't even know who we are. What's going on here? How many are hurt?"

"Geth attacked," he blinked, as if it were obvious. "There are some injured. Fai Dan wants-"

"To see me, I got it."

"Shepard, there is something strange about this…" Liara whispered at her side.

"Yeah, I'm getting that too," Shepard murmured back, then jerked her chin at their detached host. "Why don't you take us to Fai Dan?"

The man nodded, and turned. "Yeah, Fai Dan wants to see you."

Shepard barely saw the encroaching streak of fire in time, just over the colonist's shoulder. With just enough time to bark, "DOWN!" she grabbed Liara and hit the ground, hearing Garrus throw himself prone beside her.

There was a split second where she could hear the hiss of the incoming rocket, then there was a hollow boom that seemed determined to drive her eardrums into her skull. The ground shuddered faintly and a great curtain of warm wet slapped down over them as if someone had tossed a bucket.

Looking up, she saw that nothing remained of the strange colonist but a scorch on the ground nearby and a fan of organs, blood, and bits of bone. Past him, about a dozen yards in the distance, she could see the geth troopers slowly moving toward them. Snatching hold of her rifle in one hand, hauling Liara up with the other, she quickly ducked under nearby cover. Garrus had already found some in the other direction.

Ears ringing, Shepard opened fire, her rifle leaping to life in a rush of flame and spitting bullets. The sound wasn't as loud as it should have been, as if the weapon were being discharged underwater.

Liara, shaking her head, peered out toward the geth, then flung out a hand wreathed with blue. The lead-most synthetic, the one who was just reorienting the rocket launcher, suddenly sailed helplessly into the air. Shepard focused her fire on it, bullets chewing through it as Liara let go her biotic hold. The synthetic hit the ground in a rain of white lubricant and severed limbs.

A spate of bullets chipped the wall almost in her face, and Shepard ducked back again. Garrus, crouched across the way with his gun in his hand, unclipped a grenade from his belt and set it, before flinging it in a perfect arc.

"Fire in the hole," he said almost calmly, and Shepard bent forward, half-covering Liara as she did.

A coughing bang, not nearly as loud as the rocket had been, caused the ground to tremble once more. Immediately lifting her rifle Shepard looked out through the smoke.

Two geth were down and out. A third had been cut nearly in half. It was squealing angrily as it pulled itself along the ground with its arms, dragging its lower body attached by only a few wires and tubes. Shepard started forward as Garrus walked over to the synthetic. Lifting a heavy boot, he smashed its head down into the concrete, crushing it under his weight.

Shepard paced past him, scanning over the remainder of the area with her rifle, but there was no more immediate sign of synthetics.

"Clear," she barked at last, straightening.

"Quite the welcoming committee," Liara murmured, brushing at her body armor. It looked like someone had splashed red paint over the back, and thin smears of red blood tainted her cheeks, the back of her neck. Shepard unconsciously ran a hand through her hair, and grimaced when a small chunk of meat and bone came free of the damp locks and fell wetly to the ground.

Slipping her fingers under the back of the armor's collar fastening, she fished out some more viscera, flicking it away.

"I call dibs on the shower when we get back," Garrus grit, trying to wipe some colonist from inside his collar as well.

"Mind _here_, Vakarian," Shepard said. "Geth got this far then chances are they're in the colony proper. We need to move."

Stretching her jaw a few times as they headed forward, weapons ready, Shepard tried to ease the ringing from the explosion. A small set of stairs, crumbling and strewn with debris, proved to be the only way out of the docking garage. They advanced carefully, two covering a third as they took a few steps, the third clearing the corner and holding position to guard as the other two proceeded forward, and onward.

Two small flights and an arched doorway opened into the heart of the colony, lazy sunlight flooding over them.

The main colony had been built on a wide open veranda type structure that opened from the side of the tower. Living units had been made from pre-fabs and sections of the ship that had brought them there. Make-shift barricades stood in seeming random patterns and only one or two people seemed to be using them, weapons focused on the archway. They didn't even blink when Shepard came slowly forward, their guns and eyes never moving, as if the marine and her two companions weren't there.

_Curiouser and curiouser_.

Past the 'guards', a woman was fiddling with what looked like the colony's water supply system. She, like the man that had greeted them, seemed tense and exhausted, but a far sight more lively than the catatonic guards. Heading toward her, Shepard cleared her throat.

"Busy," the woman snapped, not even bothering to look up from her diagnostics.

"I see. I'm looking for Fai Dan."

"He's at the other end, over there," she waved vaguely in a direction across the colony. "Now leave me alone. I have to get the water on again."

Shepard lifted her brows toward her companions, who shook their heads.

"Something is seriously wrong here, Commander," Garrus rumbled. "Normal people don't act like this."

"Be on your toes," she agreed. "There's definitely something more going on than a simple geth attack."

"Unless the geth have some kind of weapon we are not yet aware of," Liara murmured.

As they slowly crossed the colony, they only saw more of the same. Everyone was either standing around semi-catatonic, only vaguely aware of their surroundings, or else they were frantically working on one thing or another and seemed loathe to even look away from it.

When they finally did find Fai Dan he and the woman he was speaking with seemed the only two lucid people there. They looked over immediately at Shepard's approach.

"You must be from the Alliance ship that landed," he said with a weary nod. "Thank heavens someone's finally come. Welcome to Zhu's Hope…or what's left of it."

"Yeah, couple of us are still alive," the woman with him snapped angrily.

"Arcellia," he chided, then shook his head. "Forgive her, Commander. Forgive _us_. My people are extremely exhausted. We've had no sleep since the geth appeared. When they landed they cut the power, the water…most of us haven't had any food in days, a few are injured…it's been a nightmare."

"Yeah, your people seem pretty out of it," Garrus said. "Your guards didn't even blink when we came in."

"They know who they're shooting at…_Geth_. So long as you're organic, we'll take it," he replied.

Shepard narrowed her eyes slightly. Fai Dan seemed sincere, yet something about all this simply didn't sit right. There was more going on than stress and exhaustion. Her gut was insistent on it.

"Do you know why the geth are here? What they're after?" she asked.

"No. They came, they attacked us, that's really all we know. Most of them seem intent on the ExoGeni tower. We lost contact with them the moment the geth appeared, and that's where they seem to be setting up shop. On occasion a patrol comes in and attacks the colony. We've just managed to hold them off so far but…well, we seem to be an afterthought to them."

"What they want is likely in the ExoGeni tower then," Garrus nodded.

"All right. I want you and your people to stay put," Shepard told the colonist. "They're coming into your tower most likely along the skyway…we'll head across there to the ExoGeni building and clear out any geth we find along the way, so you should be safe."

"Thank you, Commander. There's a couple of crew transports at the top of the elevator to the skyway, we use them as shuttles to transfer shift workers back and forth from ExoGeni to Zhu's Hope. Transports don't have any weapons and the skyway is crawling…but there's a small class-1 MAKO up there as well, the security details used it when we first landed. Should serve you well enough."

He gave directions to the elevator, and as soon as the three were out of earshot, Liara murmured, "Commander, there is something more going on than simple exhaustion," she said. "These colonists are hiding something. It may be that they know more about why the geth are here than they are letting on."

"I agree," Garrus muttered. "These colonists aren't just exhausted, they're _fixated_. Fai Dan seemed more together than the rest but it seemed to be by the barest margin, if you ask me."

"Keep your eyes and ears open," Shepard nodded. "They may be hiding something but right now they're a minimal threat…most of them can barely stand up under their own power. We need to address the geth first, see if we can find out what they're after and get to it before they do. Maybe then the rest of this will make sense."

As they reached the MAKO Shepard did a quick inspection. The last thing she wanted was for the thing to die halfway across the skyway. Though a little smaller than their _Normandy_ MAKO, the turret and the firepower was on par, and sufficient (she hoped) for their needs.

"Garrus, you drive," she ordered as they entered the vehicle. "Liara, navigation. I'm going to take the turret."

"The skyway _is_ narrow," Garrus noted as he climbed into the driver's seat and powered up the HUD. "We're not going to be able to do much in the way of dodging, Commander."

"Then let's just hope I'm still as good on the trigger as I was in boot," Shepard answered as she slid into the turret seat, powering up its separate HUD and checking the guns. Besides the main turret gun which was slow to recharge but packed a hell of a wallop, she would have a range of machine gun fire. In boot, such weapons had been her specialty. In fact, she'd gotten within a hair's breadth of becoming a pilot in one of the Alliance's fighter wings.

Since then she'd specialized in hand-held weapons and infantry tactics, and hadn't been behind the wheel of a fighter or a serious set of vehicle-born weapons in years.

"I am showing movement about five hundred yards down the skyway," Liara reported. "Big movement. Shepard, I believe they may have the same type of heavies we saw on Noveria."

"Good, they make bigger targets," Shepard grinned. "My board's green. Meet the metal, Garrus."

"On it," he replied, and slammed his boot down to the floor. The MAKO charged forward, swiftly reaching its top speed as they moved out onto the skyway.

The Feros sun had been scattered to grays and golds by thick storm clouds on the horizon. As it was growing into late afternoon, fingers of crimson, like spilled blood, crept their way almost horizontally across the skyway.

Like most of these ruins, the skyway was obviously old, weathered, and in some places, crumbling. At the worst spots it was clear where it had been shored up and repaired to make it safe for use, but save for these spots the skyway was as drab and utilitarian as everything else Prothean Shepard had seen thus far.

"Four hundred yards," Liara reported, watching her instruments carefully. "Three fifty…three hundred. Shepard, I'm seeing heat spikes on the infrared, they are powering weapons."

"Gotcha," Shepard said, watching her own instruments as well.

"Two fifty…weapons-fire, looks like two direct energy bursts heading straight for us."

"Keep us steady, Garrus, direction and speed," Shepard ordered, dark eyes flashing as she watched the tiny flashes of light swiftly growing closer.

"Bursts are at a hundred yards. Seventy five. Sixty. Fifty."

"Steady."

"Forty. Thirty. Twenty. Shepard!"

"Steady!"

"Fifteen! Ten! _Goddess_!"

Shepard's finger slammed down and suddenly the MAKO lurched up into the air as its small lift-charges fired. Designed to help the MAKO series clear large amounts of rock and debris, and to cushion a landing from a high-drop, the lift-charges effortlessly heaved the vehicle into the air several feet only moments before the energy charges struck. They sailed harmlessly past, below the vehicle, not so much as singing the armor plating. Liara eeped faintly as the MAKO slammed back down to its treads, and Shepard slammed a fist down on her controls.

"_BOOM_!" She barked happily.

The turret fired. At this distance, Shepard could only just visually see the great geth heavies that had fired at them, indeed the same design as the one on Noveria. As she had suspected, they were nowhere near as nimble on their feet as the MAKO and barely managed half a lurch out of the way of her shot before it slammed into them, knocking them from their feet and exploding in a lightning storm of electro-static energy.

"Yeah, baby!" Shepard hollered, snatching hold of the grips for the smaller guns. "I'm going to light you up!"

Machine fire erupted out of the MAKO as it charged down on the incapacitated heavies. The swarm of smaller geth troopers behind them began to scatter as the gunfire ripped into them, sending more than a few sprawling in a rain of carnage and shredded steel. The return fire from the smaller trooper weapons didn't so much as scratch the plate shielding.

Liara gripped hold of the console as Garrus drove the MAKO right over the head of one of the incapacitated heavies, making the vehicle lurch. A trooper caught in front slammed into the front and was chewed up as it was pulled down beneath the treads.

"She's…enjoying this…" She gasped at the turian as Shepard let out another whoop.

"It's important to love what you do," he replied back with some amusement. "Hang on."

The treads kicked past the sparking remains of broken synthetics and caught hold of the skyway surface again, the MAKO rumbling regaining its full speed with a mild lurch.

"I-" Liara began, then frowned down at her instruments as a burst of static filled the air. "I am getting a transmission. It's weak…attempting to clear it."

The static hissed louder, then seemed to break up a little, allowing the faint snatches of what sounded like a human voice come through. Nothing that was said could be understood, and she tried to pinpoint the transmission direction to clean it up further.

"The colonies' communications were completely cut," Garrus glanced over at her as she worked. "And with that odd electromagnetic signature surrounding the ExoGeni tower it's a sure bet communications aren't getting out from there, either…even if their infrastructure is intact. Who's sending?"

"I do not know, but it is a weak signal…it cannot be far."

The static gave an angry burst again, and then for a split second, the voice came through loud, if not completely clear.

_{…shut down the comm! We got….sssst….shut down the comm!}_

As it fell silent Liara pointed ahead. "There, the signal is coming from there. That small structure ahead."

In the distance there was, as Liara had described it, a structure edging the skyway. Some kind of checkpoint building or transit hub it looked seriously battered with weapons-fire, all of it apparently fresh given the scorches darkening the stone.

"Any more geth on your screen?" Shepard called down.

"Yes, but they are some distance away…a thousand yards further down the skyway, almost to the ExoGeni building," Liara replied. "They are not an immediate threat."

"Garrus, pull us in over there, flank to the wall and use the building to obscure the MAKO. I want to see what's going on."

The wind was stiff and dry as they emerged from the vehicle only a few minutes later. Shadowed by the checkpoint building, they were in no danger of being blown off the skyway but Shepard had a feeling that if the geth troopers weighed any less than they did, none would have made it across the bridge to assault Zhu's Hope.

The obvious doors into the checkpoint were not only heavily sealed, but it seemed someone had fired on the building itself with the intent to collapse part of the stonework in front of them, making them inaccessible without actual digging, or explosives. Some poking around found a small, hidden door toward the back, less-obvious and their only way in. As Shepard shifted a little rock out of the way of it, her ear-bud piped up, picking up the same frequency the MAKO had.

_{We've got movement…be ready, someone's coming! Might be geth!}_

Staying out of direct sight of the entrance, Shepard gestured at the others to follow her lead, and crouched. Peeking around carefully she saw a sloping hall that led into what looked like a much larger, open area. She could see the bottom of a few barricades and could sense movement, but could see no people.

"Hello down there!" she called, voice echoing in the narrow hall.

"Who…who are you?" Someone, female, called back up.

"I'm Commander Shepard, Systems Alliance. There are no geth out here. May we come down?"

There were muffled voices, heated, before the woman called back up. "Yes, all right…please, come down."

Shepard indicated to Liara and Garrus to stay behind her, then started down. Her rifle was still out but she didn't hold it in any kind of threatening manner, and after only a few steps down the corridor she could see the terrified faces peeking up at her from behind the barricade, their weapons fixed on her. She held up her free hand.

"We're here to help," she soothed.

Seeing they were truly organic, the weapons lowered, tensions easing. As Shepard reached ground level a woman wearing an ExoGeni uniform hurried up to her. Her weathered face was lined with relief.

"You are humans…thank God," she gasped, not seeming to realize that Shepard was actually the only human in the party. "We've been hiding in here for days-"

"Who are you?" A male voice demanded frantically, a pistol lifting. Shepard's hand tightened on her rifle but she didn't lift it. The man was a skinny whip of a fellow, also wearing an ExoGeni uniform. He held the pistol like he didn't know which end was the right one, and she quickly noted the safety was on. He was hardly a threat.

"Calm down, I told you. I'm Systems Alliance. Admiral Hackett sent us when the colony went dark, we're here to take care of the geth."

"If the company didn't send you, get out," the little man spat, as rabid as a Chihuahua defending its turf. The pistol pointed wildly between Shepard and the tunnel, as if shooing her away. "Go!"

"_Jesus_, Jeong!" the woman snapped, flabbergasted. "We finally have armed help and you're only mad they're not from the _company_?"

"They have no business here!" Jeong retorted. "ExoGeni is sending rescue teams, they'll take care of the geth problem, we-"

"_Ignore him_, he was out of his mind before this attack…three days with no sleep hasn't helped," the woman told Shepard. "I'm Juliana Baynham, that's Ethan Jeong. Please…do you know what happened? Why the geth are attacking?"

"No," Shepard said honestly. "Truth be told I was hoping _you_ could enlighten me."

"We have no idea," Juliana said with a sigh of frustration. "It was a normal work day, routine and then, the alarms were going off and then guns…everyone was running…and we've been hiding in here ever since. For all I know we're the only ones that made it out."

"Fai Dan and most of his people are still alive at Zhu's Hope," Shepard offered. "Listen, it's clear the geth are here looking for something. What can you tell me about what ExoGeni was working on here, what they could be interested-"

"_Nothing_!" Jeong all but shrieked, waving the pistol again. "There's _nothing_ here they could want! You shouldn't be here, the company is coming and-"

"For God's sake," Shepard snorted, and strode over. Startled, the little man thrust the pistol at her and tried to pull the trigger, but the safety clicked. With no effort, Shepard snatched the weapon out of his hand and tossed it aside, before grabbing him by the front of the tunic. "Listen, _Jeong_, I don't give a shit about your silly company secrets. If there was nothing here the geth wanted, then the geth _wouldn't be here_, follow? And we wouldn't be _having_ this lovely conversation. Now. You're going to tell me what the geth want and I'm going to go into the ExoGeni tower and find it before they get their cold little mitts on it. If you don't know, then you're going to sit like a good little boy over in that corner there and mind your manners, get me?"

"I…I don't know what they want," the man gasped. "Really, I don't. We had several different departments researching mineral deposits in the area, and some of the local flora and fauna for possible pharmaceutical uses, that's all I know."

She released him with a glare, looking back at Juliana. "Do _you_ know?"

"No," she admitted. "What Jeong just said is true…ExoGeni was just starting to map the natural resources on Feros for possible medicinal purposes. There were eight different departments working on eight different projects, all more or less isolated from one another. Only the company board would know what all of them were working on for certain. I can't imagine what the geth would want from here bad enough to attack like this."

"Fine. I suggest you lot stay hunkered down here until we get back with the all clear. I'm going into the ExoGeni tower and see if I can't figure out what they want and eliminate the ongoing threat. If I were you, I'd keep Spunky here away from weapons. Next person he aims at may not be as nice as I am, and they'll air out his skull, understand?"

"Of course," Juliana replied, then gripped Shepard's arm. "Please…if you could…my daughter, Lizbeth…she was working in the ExoGeni tower as well when the attack came. I lost her in the chaos and I haven't seen her since. I…know that chances are slim she is still alive but I…I have to hope. She's a smart girl, quick on her feet. Please, Commander…if you find _any_ sign of her, alive or…"

She broke off, eyes shining. Liara's brows knit with sympathy as she looked first to Shepard, then at Juliana.

"We cannot promise anything," Shepard murmured. "But I'll keep my eyes peeled, ok?"

"Thank you…"

Shepard nodded, clapping the woman lightly on the shoulder a moment before she turned to her companions. "C'mon. That Geth patrol has to be getting closer and I want to secure this area before we move on, make sure nothing gets through to these people."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note:

Ok, there's going to be some small changes :D Firstly, I have been informed a few times now that the rules on this site are not as stringent as I had thought when it came to mature content. Having since seen a great number of fics with much harsher language and scenes in them, I have decided to no longer edit this story down to a more watered version simply for this site. As a result, you may notice a bit more language and gore from here on out than there was before. I will not change the chapters already published, and I will continue to mirror publish this on my alternate site, so if you were reading along there don't worry, it will still be updated there as well.

If the language offends you, I sincerely hope you never played ME2 and listened to Jack talk.

Also, I have been getting requests for smaller chapters so, we're gonna give that a try. Upside is, of course, that this story will be updated a bit more often than before :D

Anyway, happy reading, and remember...feedback is always welcome!

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><p><em>ExoGeni: We're Bringing You Tomorrow…Today!<em>

Though dark and silent now, where once it was bright with blazoned electric red and blue, the ExoGeni logo seemed to mock her from the wall.

Dark, and silent. She'd learned the last couple of days that dark and silent were good. Dark and silent meant the geth patrols hadn't found her. It meant safety.

She'd taken to holing up here, in the small café. The geth didn't seem concerned with it, and it provided both a hiding spot and a supply of food and water. It had quickly become apparent that her only chance was to remain hidden until help came, rescue.

She sat on a small pad behind the counter, huddled in the tiny space between dispensing machines. With her knees drawn up she was impossible to see from most angles, and for once she was glad of her slight build. Having little to no sleep since the first alarms had gone off, she struggled now against dozing, her head sagging forward to her knees only to snap back, eyes wide with exhausted fear.

If she fell asleep they'd find her. If she fell asleep she was as good as dead.

Tucked carefully beside her was a small pistol she'd found in one of the accountant's offices. What an accountant was doing with a pistol was beyond her, and she really had little idea how to use it, but it gave her some sense of security. She was intelligent enough, she supposed, to figure it out. Shortly after finding it she'd worked out where the safety was…beyond that, she was pretty sure it was just point and shoot.

She'd started to doze again when the faint click of the café door snapped her awake. Holding her breath, she made herself as small as possible, eyes wide as she listened, hoping it had merely been her imagination.

No. No, something was definitely coming in. A light suddenly flashed and crawled over the wall above her head, over the dispensing machines.

Shaking, she started to ease the pistol out from beside her, struggling not to make a sound. The light started to turn away just as the pistol brushed against the wall, making the faintest scrape. She froze, staring, hoping frantically it hadn't been heard.

It had. The light turned back her direction. In her mind's eye all she could picture were huge geth troopers, machine guns the size of water coolers pointed in her direction, ready to chew through the counter like it was cardboard.

Body in motion before sense could reach her brain, she lurched out from between the machines, pistol gripped in both hands. She saw simple shapes in the dark and pulled the trigger. As the pistol barked it seemed to wrench back in her hands like a living thing, startling her. She dropped it with a squeal, then scrambled frantically backward, trying to regain the artificial safety of her hidey-hole.

She heard a curse, heard boots striding purposefully, and started to sob in hysterics, letting out a little scream as she was grabbed and hauled back, shoved against one of the dispensing machines.

"Don't, p-please," she sobbed frantically, barely able to stay on her feet in her exhaustion and terror. "Please, don't hurt me…p-please!"

"One of the lab workers," a rumbling male voice noted. It was only at that moment that she realized it wasn't the geth…geth didn't speak.

"Hey, calm down." The shadow that had a grip on her sounded female. "No one's going to hurt you."

"Oh, thank God…th-thank God you…" she sniffled, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. "Y-You're not geth…"

"I'm Commander Shepard," the shadow holding her said. "Systems Alliance. We're here to address the geth issue. Is it just you?"

The grip had released, the shadow moving back a pace. The light shifted away from her eyes and for a moment, it was completely impossible to see as her startled pupils tried to adjust again. Slowly the three figures came into focus. A human woman, a turian male, and an asari, all armored and bearing enough weapons to take down a small country. The asari was off to one side, half watching the door as the human and turian focused on her.

"Y-yes, I…I think so. I haven't seen anyone but geth for days, not since the alarms. I'm…I w-was stupid. I thought it was a drill and stayed at my desk…my door was shut so I didn't realize everyone was running until I heard gunfire and by th-then it was too late. I'm lucky I got beneath my desk before one of the geth saw me. I-I've been hiding ever since."

"Have you seen anything of what the geth are doing, what they want? Any clue as to why they would want to infiltrate an ExoGeni research colony?"

"N-no, not really," she answered, surprised at the ease with which she lied. "I…I saw them laying cables once, right after they arrived. They…a few of the corridors and stairwells have been blocked by some kind of energy field."

"Yeah, we ran into that," Shepard replied. "We were looking for a way around. Got any ideas?"

"Yes, there's…one of the small maintenance rooms has an old…basement, kind of thing. It was used for storage when the company first started establishing this tower, but now it's empty and mostly forgotten. It's not very big but the geth overlooked it. That's how I got out here past the field. They keep sending patrols around outside though, or I'd have tried for the skyway."

"Good thing you didn't," the turian shook his head. "You wouldn't have made it a hundred feet. They've got the whole bridge secure. Or…_did_, until we came through."

"Can you show us to this basement room?" Shepard asked.

"Of course, it's…not too far," she agreed. Shepard nodded and looked at the turian.

"We'll take point. Liara, follow us with…what was your name?"

"L-Lizbeth…" she offered. Shepard lifted an eyebrow.

"Baynham?"

"Y-yes, how did you-" she blinked, realization dawning along with a surprisingly dizzying rush of hope. "My mother! You saw my mother? She got out? I-Is she hurt?"

"She's fine," Shepard calmed. "She's holed up with about a dozen others at the checkpoint halfway along the sky bridge. She was worried about you, told us to keep an eye out. She'll be happy to know you're in one piece."

"Oh, thank God," Lizbeth broke down into tears once more, struggling not to sob. "They killed so many…gunned them down as they were running…I was so afraid she'd…"

"It's all right," Shepard told her. "With any luck you'll be seeing her again in a few hours. For now, we need to get to that basement."

"Yes, of…of course," she sniffled, wiping her face. "O-Out the door, to the left."

As they stepped out around the counter, the asari gave her a warm smile, touching her arm lightly. "Come," she said gently. "You are safe with us."

"Thank you," she sniffed again. "Thank you so much…"

The basement was only two halls away, around a pair of turns. Lizbeth was amazed at the efficiency of the pair of soldiers in front of her. They moved swiftly, scanning every inch of hallway, every shadow, everywhere a threat could lurk. They moved without pause, weapons up, no words spoken.

The asari…Liara, Shepard had called her…remained at Lizbeth's side but was no less prepared, constantly keeping a watch on their back to make sure nothing snuck up on them. She had picked up Lizbeth's pistol and had it tucked in her belt. That was fine with her; she never wanted to touch the damned thing again.

They slipped in a doorway at her indication, and after they cleared the small room she hurried ahead of them to another door, nearly hidden in the back corner. "Here, this is it. It comes out on the other end, near the eastern stairwell."

She shifted a couple of boxes out of the way that she had stacked to help disguise the door, then pulled it open. The small storage space was low but wide…they'd have to stoop, but would be able to fit through.

Shepard shined her light into the space as she peered in critically, then nodded before looking at Lizbeth. "Good. Listen, we can't take you with us into the tower, but we've cleared the way out here. Go back to the café. We'll come pick you up on our way out."

"What…what if you don't make it?" she ventured. Shepard smirked a little.

"There's three of us and only a few hundred of them. Believe it or not, odds are in our favor. On the off-chance we don't, however, take this." She passed Lizbeth a spare ear-bud. "If you don't hear from us in six hours, our MAKO is parked just inside the entrance to the skyway. That energy field being generated by the geth is interfering with communications, but there are a few patches along the skyway where you can get signal. Our ship, the _Normandy_, will be listening in on the frequency this bud is programmed to. Report to them as soon as you can get through, and join the group hiding in the checkpoint. All right?"

"Yes, I can…I can do that," she said, gripping the bud tightly in her hand before fumbling for her belt. "W-wait, here…here, you'll need this."

Snapping off her tiny ID card she gave it to the commander. "This is my security pass. You'll need it to get past any locked doors the geth haven't already hacked. If the power's still up you'll be able to get into get into the computer with it also, maybe track the geth movements from the tower's closed security system…just approach a terminal and the VI should automatically recognize the signature as mine."

"All right, thank you," Shepard took the card and clipped it to her own belt.

"Would you like your pistol back?" Liara asked, as she began to remove it from her belt. Lizbeth put her palms forward and waved her hands frantically.

"No, no, no…you keep it. I…I'll only end up shooting myself in the foot, I don't want to touch that thing again."

"Close this door again after we're through," Shepard instructed. "Just in case."

Lizbeth nodded, watching the three vanish into the dark before carefully swinging the door shut. She restacked the boxes, not in a way that would prevent the door opening when they returned but more simply to disguise it once again, then hurried back at toward the café, trying not to weep. The end was in sight, and her mom was alive…it seemed to be too good to be true.

She was so relieved and exhausted she didn't even realize that if Shepard used her ID to log into the VI, she could very quickly and easily find out just exactly what the geth were there for…and that Lizbeth had lied to her.

* * *

><p>"Protheans weren't big on design, were they?" Shepard asked as she looked at yet another inexplicably angling hallway.<p>

They had passed through Baynham's 'basement' and into the facility proper. Since then, they'd eliminated two geth patrols and been exposed to more of the Prothean's trademark décor.

"On the contrary," Liara replied, "The Prothean's designs are part of what drew me to study them. Their architecture may seem harsh and bland to our tastes, because they built based on geometry rather than what we would term 'aesthetics'. Every building, every colony plan, every stone they set is mathematically perfect. From what I have noticed of this particular tower is that it is built on a raising stack of pentagons and dodecahedrons, joined by staircases that demonstrate a near-perfect knowledge of cubis-"

"Got it, they like ugly," Shepard teased. Liara huffed slightly.

"Perhaps it is what _you_ would deem ugly, however I do not believe we shall need any kind of map at all, now that I have grasped this particular geometric layout. We should be nearing the research office levels in the middle of the tower. Another stairway should be just around the corner."

True to her word, as Shepard cleared the corner and peered around, she could see the stairway. Liara lifted a brow with a smug little smile as she caught sight of it too. Shepard rolled her shoulders a little with a smirk.

"Show-off."

Moving carefully, they eased up the stairs into the research level, and almost immediately Shepard spotted the flat pad on the floor just within the entrance. A tiny green light showed it still had power, and as she approached, the VI sensed Lizbeth's security clearance badge and manifested its holographic interface. A human male, made up of light, appeared and smiled cheerfully.

"Welcome back, Research Assistant Lizbeth Baynham."

Shepard grimaced and waved at Garrus, who slipped past instantly, kneeling at the door and scanning the hall for any sign of a geth patrol, weapon upraised.

"One fifth volume, please," Shepard ordered softly. The VI immediately adjusted, its voice much softer as it spoke again.

"Volume reduction attained."

"Give me a security schematic of the facility and access to the infrared cameras."

"Unfortunately I cannot access the security systems. There is an unusual level of electromagnetic interference within the ExoGeni facility, and the security systems are off-line."

"Are the security doors still functional?"

"Checking. Security doors are online and functional, you may access any authorized secure area with your ID."

"VI, has anyone tried to access your interface within the last seventy-two hours, besides myself?"

"Number of VI accesses dropped from one hundred seven to negligible access unexpectedly seventy hours ago. Since that time, two users and one outside interface have attempted to access me directly."

"Identify the two users."

"The first user was quantified as 'guest' to this system, lacking any established identification in the ExoGeni database. The second user was quantified as 'guest' to this system, lacking any-'

"What were the guests trying to access?" Shepard asked impatiently.

"Both users were attempting to access classified research documents regarding Species 37."

"I think we may have just found what the geth are after," Liara murmured.

"Do I have security clearance to access the research documents on 'Species 37?'" Shepard asked.

"You are cleared for full access."

"Display."

The humanoid VI vanished, replaced by a list of files displaying holographically in mid-air. Shepard accessed them with jabs and sweeps of her fingers, her face growing grimmer and grimmer as she read.

It would take hours to get through all of them, but she knew enough in the first five minutes to make her seriously angry. Accessing her omni-tool she began a data dump from the terminal, saving the files before powering down the terminal.

"She lied to us," Liara whispered, having read more than enough over Shepard's shoulder.

"Yes she did," the commander replied. "All right. Communications are still blocked, so we can't warn the _Normandy_. It's clear by these cables that the electromagnetic fields are being generated by the geth ship itself, which is latched on not too far from here. We need to take care of that ship."

"Three of us against a geth drop-ship?" Garrus asked, blinking at her. "Firepower that we're packing wouldn't even scratch its plates. Wouldn't it be more prudent to head back across the skyway to the _Normandy_?"

"Facing who knows what opposition, with a chance that drop-ship could re-launch and come down on our heads on the way? Not to mention even if we make it back to the _Normandy_, all the geth ship has to do is stay put where it is and wait for reinforcements…the _Normandy _can't get a shot at it to take it out, and we'll be right back where we started when we first arrived. No…we need to render that ship neutral before we go back."

The turian nodded. "You're the boss. We follow your lead."

"Good. Here's hoping I don't get us all killed."

* * *

><p>A heavy, Alliance issue combat boot slammed down on the neck of the squealing geth a breath before Shepard unloaded half a dozen rounds into its narrow metal skull.<p>

"Garrus!"

"Nearly there!"

Three more troopers sailed away as they were hit with Liara's biotic slam. Shepard ratcheted out her heat sink and slapped a new one into place before lighting them up.

"Four more are disembarking!" Liara said breathlessly. "It is only a matter of time before they offload one of the heavies, and we cannot address such a threat on foot."

The air filled with gunfire and both Shepard and Liara dove behind cover, chips of shattered stone skipping over Shepard's cheekbone as she did.

They had found where the geth ship was latched on. It had sent anchors the size of the MAKO into some of the stone walls but its main point-of-grip was at a maintenance shuttle bay door. Two attachments like huge, instectile claws had invaded through the open door, latching on to its framework and allowing a small ramp to discharge geth troopers from the drop-ship directly into the tower.

Seeing the arrangement, Garrus had been stricken with the brilliant idea of cutting the safeties to the heavy bay door and generating enough pressure to force the door shut with enough PSI to snap even a light cruiser in half. It would cut through the anchors and hopefully shift the balance of the ship enough to tear its other anchors free and send it careening to the planet's surface a hundred meters below.

It really was a brilliant idea, however it was taking longer than they had hoped building up enough pressure and in the mean-time, geth troops were thundering down the ramp and into the bay as fast as they were able.

"Five more seconds, Shepard," Garrus barked.

Glancing over at Liara, Shepard growled, "Keep them on the ramp."

"Aye aye," the asari panted with a nod.

The pair opened fire again, hitting the disembarking geth as fast and hard as they were able in a bid to keep them from actually crossing into the shuttle bay. As they did, Garrus suddenly shouted in triumph.

"Doors closing _now_!" he yelled as he slammed his fist down on the pressure release.

The shuttle door immediately started to descend. Keeping their fire focused, Shepard grit her teeth as the doors forced themselves downward. Encountering the geth anchors there was the sharp, nerve-wracking shriek of metal on metal. For a breath it seemed the doors might be daunted but they continued to push on, and slowly the anchors started to slip, then dent. The concrete to which they clung began to crack and crumble, and the anchors tore even further.

Then it broke loose. In a shatter of stone and a shriek that was more feeling than sound, the doors crushed and ripped the anchors loose and pushed fully into their housings. Sparks flew, the air filled with the smell of dust and ozone, and a glut of white spurted outward as one of the geth troopers was caught beneath the door.

Slowly, almost painfully slowly, they could hear the deep tortured moan filtering in from outside as the geth ship began to shift. A muffled, hollow crack trembled the ground, then a second, then a third, merging together and growing in strength until it was almost like being back in the volcano on Therum. Dust began to rain from above, thin cracks appearing in the ceiling, and Shepard backpedaled, grabbing Liara's arm and urging her toward the door, praying they hadn't just collapsed the whole tower.

A final, rock-cracking boom, and silence fell. Shepard listened, not daring to breathe, until she heard the distant rumbling impact.

The geth ship had fallen.

Panting, Garrus wiped a hand over his face as he glanced over at Shepard. "Was it good for you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I've had better," she teased back, then clapped him on the shoulder. "Good job, Vakarian. I may just keep you around."

_{Commander?} _Joker's voice suddenly burst in through their ear buds. _{Commander this is_ Normandy…_please tell me you're getting this…}_

"_Normandy_, this is Shepard," she replied. "Report."

_{Commander, we've got a teensy bit of a situation. The Normandy is secure but the colonists have gone crazy. They're outside beating on the hull and the airlock door.}_

"Weapons?"

_{Some small arms but nothing that will even scratch us.}_

"All right, hold tight then. Keep sealed up and do not take _any_ action against them, understood? There's a chance they're not responsible for their actions and they can't cause any damage to the ship with only their fists and small arms. We're heading back now."

_{Ten four. Holding tight.}_

"C'mon," Shepard turned to her companions. "We gotta get back to the MAKO…and I want to have a little _chat_ with Dr. Baynham."

As they turned to head out of the shuttle bay Liara looked puzzled, then blinked and followed them, calling after Garrus.

"Wait, what did you mean by 'was it good for you'?"

* * *

><p>Her utter exhaustion, combined with a long-awaited sense of relief, had shattered Lizbeth's ability to remain awake. Barely had she retreated to her hidey-hole between the dispensers than sleep once again tried to claim her. Lulled by the knowledge that her ordeal was nearly over, she was not able to fight it and soon had fallen into dark unconsciousness.<p>

Her momentary peace was shattered what felt like only a heartbeat later, as hands once again grabbed hold of her, hauling her forward. Disoriented, frightened, she lashed out with a cry but hit only unyielding armor, the smooth surface of one of the dispensers once again pressing against her back.

"_C-Commander_?" she gasped as she recognized the woman's face hovering in front of her own. "What-"

"I don't like being lied to, Baynham," Shepard stated firmly.

"I…I-I didn't-"

"Species 37, aka the Thorian, the very project _you_ were working on…what the geth were _here_ for. I specifically asked if you knew why they would have come and you _lied to my face_!"

"P-Please, I didn't mean…it wasn't like that I…"

"Start. Talking. And you even _think _of trying to bullshit me again…"

Lizbeth gasped as Shepard's grip on her eased. Planting one hand over her heart, the other plastered behind her against the dispenser, as if it were going to hold her up.

"I…I wasn't sure that's what they were here for, what you knew," she said shakily. "They threatened me, I…I wanted no part with what they were doing but they said if I breathed a word to anyone, that I'd be next. I…I know you said you were with the Alliance but I couldn't be sure that I could trust that you weren't here under ExoGeni's orders. I'm so sorry, Commander…I'm so tired, I wasn't thinking clearly, I…I should have told you everything."

"You can make up for it now," Shepard folded her arms. "I got the files and read enough to know I don't like it. How about you give me the fast version?"

"Species 37…the Thorian, it's a…a plant. ExoGeni discovered it here. It's not like anything that exists on any other world. It's…alive. I mean, it's a plant of course it's alive but…it's _smart_. Self-aware."

"A sentient _plant_?" Garrus blinked.

"Yes. It releases these little spores, no bigger than dust. When they're inhaled by something, like a person, they get into the blood stream and spread to the brain and create kind of like a bioelectric connection with the main plant. Kind of like mind-control. It's affected the colonists at Zhu's Hope…ExoGeni knew all about it but did _nothing_ to help those people! They just wanted to see what would happen, find some way to exploit it for their own purposes. I couldn't live with that. I threatened to take it to the Alliance, to the media but they said if I so much as breathed a word of it to my own mother they'd find out and I'd be meeting the Thorian face to face."

She shuddered, covering her mouth a moment. "I'm weak, Commander," she admitted faintly, struggling against tears. "I couldn't…I was so afraid of what they'd do to me, to Mom. And…and then the attack hit. I saw my chance, and I stayed behind, tried to get the files off to the Alliance, let them know about the Thorian but communications were blocked so fast, and then I was trapped."

Shepard's eyes were narrow as she scrutinized the girl, before nodding once. "All right. Let's go. We need to find this Thorian and _you_ are coming with us."

Lizbeth didn't dare argue, trailing along silently beside the asari once again.

"Well, at least we know why Saren is interested in this plant," Garrus told Shepard as they reached the MAKO. "What is it with him and mind control?"

"I don't know, but I see no possible good side," she replied. "Mind control in Saren's hands is a nightmare I don't want to have to deal with."

* * *

><p>Shepard was grim-faced and silent as they drove back onto the skyway, toward the checkpoint. At least with the loss of the drop-ship they'd seen no further sign of geth stragglers, but that hardly put her mind at east. She'd have rather been facing a whole platoon of synthetics than what was before her now…an unknown alien creature who had taken control of innocent civvies for unknown purposes. How could they even begin to understand the motivations of a sentient plant? What did plants <em>want<em>, anyway? How could they begin to think of answering that question when no one had ever run into any plant that was capable of wanting _anything_?

_The effects of this Thorian does shed some light on the colonists' odd behavior when we first arrived. Their listless disinterest or intent focus. Perhaps some people can fight its influence better…may explain why Fai Dan and that Arcellia woman seemed more lucid…perhaps they're stronger willed, or have been infected a shorter time than the others. Shit. I just hope if that thing is still here, if Saren hasn't taken off with it, I don't have to kill enthralled colonists just to get to it._

She was afraid that was exactly what was going to happen.

The civvie, Lizbeth, had fallen to sleep in the short time between entering the MAKO and them pulling up to the checkpoint. She looked at Liara with weary befuddlement as the asari gently nudged her awake, then followed her out of the rover.

Shepard led the way to the hidden entry and then down the sloping hall, but halfway along its length she suddenly slowed, signaling for quiet.

Raised voices could be heard. Edging a bit further down, Shepard narrowed her eyes at the unfolding scene.

Juliana Baynham and that squirrely parasite, Jeong, were in the midst of a heated debate. Jeong was waving that pistol of his around, the single pair of ExoGeni security men clustered in close. As one of them grabbed hold of Baynham, Shepard drew her pistol and planted a shot on the ground between the woman and Jeong, who leapt back with a girlish shriek.

Wisely, the fellow who'd grabbed Juliana released her and backed away. _Un_wisely, Jeong aimed his pistol at Shepard though continued to gesture wildly with it. Knowing how low a caliber it was, and that nothing but repeated, well-planted shots would even think of making it through her shields, Shepard didn't bother blowing a hole in the stupid civvie's head. Her aim never wavered as she moved matter-of-factly into the room.

"Fuck!" Jeong spat. "You just went into a building crawling with geth! There's only three of you…why aren't you dead? Why couldn't you _just be dead_?"

"What's going on here," Shepard demanded, her aim never wavering from Jeong's forehead. Before anyone could answer, a cry came from behind her, and Lizbeth rushed forward toward Juliana.

"Mom!"

"Lizbeth?"

The older woman gasped, embracing her daughter tightly, barely suppressing sobs. "Oh, my baby…my baby girl, you're all right!"

"Shepard, this is none of your business!" Jeong barked, flapping the pistol toward her as if he were trying to shoo a fly. "You've done what you came for, now go! Go on!"

"You point that gun in my direction again and you're losing a kneecap," Shepard snarled viciously. The indignant little man actually blinked, startled, and lowered the pistol a bit.

"You…" he mumbled, then scowled. "This is ExoGeni business now! Communications are back up, I have my orders from the company!"

"They told him to purge the colony!" Juliana snapped, her cheeks tearstained as she looked over at Shepard, still clinging to her daughter. "Wipe them out, write them off, like they were bad investments!"

"They _are_ bad invest-" Jeong began, only to be cut off by Lizbeth's furious voice.

"You can't do that! The company is too late anyway, Shepard knows everything! I told her about the Thorian!"

"You _what_?" His shriek could have shattered glass, and he actually gave a little hop of fury. "You are so…so _fired_!"

"Fired? You think I'm worried about being _fired_?"

"What are you talking about, Lizbeth…what's a Thorian?" Juliana asked.

Lizbeth sniffled, wiping her wrist under her nose. "It's a creature, living under the colony…a telepathic plant. It's taken control of the colonists there, and ExoGeni knew about it the whole time! They wanted to exploit it!"

"_What_? Jeong…? I can't believe that even _you_ would-"

"Enough! I have my orders! This is what the company wants!" Jeong barked, then lifted the pistol and aimed it at Shepard again. "I have to get rid of yo-"

Bam.

The shot seemed oddly muffled, oddly casual…and did not come from Jeong's pistol. The little man screeched as his leg snapped to one side in a flash of dark blood, both Juliana and Lizbeth crying out in shocked surprised. Jeong collapsed to the ground, howling as he gripped his thigh, gaping at his ruined knee.

Shepard lifted an eyebrow. "I warned you."

"_Bitch_!" he screamed, sobbing as he rocked back and forth. "I can't believe you shot me!"

"Keep that screaming up and the next one's in your head," Shepard snapped back, then looked at the security guys. "We gonna have a problem?"

Both men retreated some, shaking their heads, hands well away from their weapons. Shepard stepped forward and kicked the pistol away from Jeong before shipping her own.

"Where _exactly_ is the Thorian?" she asked, eyes steely as she looked at Lizbeth.

"Directly under Zhu's Hope," the girl said quickly. "The colonists…they moved one of their prefabs over the h-hole, the…the stairwell, so no one could get to it. But…the colonists will be extremely hostile, Commander. They'll do anything they can to stop you from getting to it."

Juliana paled, seeing Shepard's expression. "Please…don't kill them. They're our friends! They're sick…confused, they don't know what they're doing!"

"I don't want to kill anyone I don't have to," Shepard told her. "You got any suggestions?"

"Uh…we got some knock-outs," one of the security guys spoke tentatively. When Shepard looked at him he shrugged. "Standard security inventory, just in case there's a riot or something we gotta get under control. Lob a couple of them and when they go off, the colonists will be down for the count…but not permanently hurt."

"How many you got?" Shepard asked, striding over as he gestured at a small ordinance box. He hefted it open, shrugging.

"Not many. Maybe a dozen…don't usually get riots, after all…at least not big ones, on a colony small as this."

"All right, we'll take them, put down as many of them as we can without hurting them. Garrus, grab these."

As the turian started forward she pointed at Juliana. "You got any medi-gel for the dickless wonder?"

"Y-yes, we have a decent supply-"

"Good, treat him before he bleeds to death. And if you got any sedatives, do yourselves a favor and knock him out first. I've got a Thorian to find."


	11. Chapter 11

"Did…you really have to shoot that man?" Liara asked as Shepard rummaged in the back of the MAKO, looking through small cabinets and supply boxes.

"Yes, I really did," Shepard replied disinterestedly.

"Why? His weapon was far too weak to harm your shields. He was no threat to you."

"One thing they drilled into our heads in boot, Tianlán, was that if anyone pointed a weapon at you, your immediate priority was to eliminate the threat." She glanced over at the asari standing outside the open door. "And by 'eliminate', I mean a shot to the head. Put them down and out, no question. Way I see it, I was fuckin' generous only taking out his knee, and I warned him first."

"But your shields-"

"You know what? Shields fail. They malfunction. There are illegal weapons mods that aren't always obvious, that can give a pistol that size the kick needed to punch right through my shields or even set me on fire. _That_ would have been a lot of fun, don't you think? Not to mention, he was also _threatening the civvies._ If he was stupid enough to point a weapon at a trained, armed and armored marine _after_ being warned of the consequences then there is a serious disconnect in his brain…a dangerous disconnect. He could just as easily have taken a pot-shot at the Baynhams."

Pulling three filtration masks from the box she was rifling in, she went over and crouched in the door, meeting Liara's eyes. "I don't shoot people for fun."

Liara's cheeks darkened to sapphire. "Of course you do not, Shepard, I…I'm sorry if I made it sound as if that was what I was accusing you of. I just…I truly am not a soldier. The last few weeks…my entire life has turned around so completely. I have seen so much death and pain, I just…"

"Yeah, I hear you," Shepard murmured, giving a faint smile. "It's your good heart talking again. Here." She passed one of the masks to the asari woman. "Put this on and _keep_ it on until we clear _Normandy's_ decom. I don't want to risk inhaling any of this Thorian's 'spores'. At least, any more than we may already have. Hey, look at me."

She reached out as Liara looked down at the mask in her hand, and tipped her face up again with a finger curled under her chin. "Things are going to get rough, Tianlán. These colonists are likely going to attack us. I'm going to do _everything_ that I can not to kill them, or hurt them any more than I have too…but I can't promise what's going to go down. I _need_ to know if you can handle this. If not, then you need to stay here with the Baynhams until Garrus and I get back."

Liara's brows knit, her blue eyes searching Shepard's brown ones. "I am with _you_, Shepard," she said firmly. "I am not going to stay behind like a child-"

"Hey, you are _not_ a child, Liara," Shepard retorted. "I don't think of you that way. But this is some serious shit. This kind of thing changes people, leaves scars. If it comes to it, and you are with us, _you_ may have to kill people…people you know are sick, people you _know_ are not in control of what they're doing. I guarantee it, that _will_ follow you for the rest of your life…and for you that's a very long time. You need to be absolutely certain here, Liara. No one is going to think worse of you if you stay put, ok?"

Liara lifted her chin slightly. "I understand what you are saying, Shepard…but _I_ would think worse of me."

Reaching up, she took Shepard's hand, enfolding it in her own. "If something were to happen to you or Garrus, and I had stayed behind, I would wonder if I could not have made a difference, being there. _That_ will follow me the rest of my life as well. I am coming with you, Shepard. I am with you until the end."

Shepard nodded, then gave Liara's hand a gentle squeeze before drawing her own back, handing Liara a second mask. "All right then, we'd better get moving. Give this to Garrus, okay?"

"Aye," Liara turned and walked around to where Garrus was checking the MAKO. As she went, Shepard sighed, hanging her head a moment before scrubbing her gloved hand over her face.

"All right, here we go," she muttered, before tugging the remaining mask over her face.

* * *

><p>The sky bridge was quiet…almost eerily so. Knowing what they were driving toward had brought a blanket of heavy tension over the three, and nothing was said as the MAKO rumbled along. Shepard was driving, Liara sitting navigation.<p>

None of this sat well with the human woman…not one goddamn bit of it. Liara was too sweet to be forced into these kinds of things, to see this side of the galaxy. Soldiers fought and died so that people like her wouldn't have to carry such nightmares. Yet the asari seemed so damn intent to jump into every fray.

_Maybe asari don't process stress and trauma the way we do,_ she thought idly as the treads rasped their way along the rough concrete bridge. _You're putting human conditions on an alien species._

"Commander?" Liara's voice broke the silence and Shepard's thoughts. She was peering intently at the infrared. Outside, the great garage doors leading to the colony tower were only a dozen meters away, and looming nearer with every passing moment.

"What is it?"

"I have a…I think it is a person, a human but…there is no heat signature on the infrared. In fact it is reading as _colder_ than the surrounding environment. It is there, near the door."

She pointed out the windscreen and Shepard slowed the MAKO, narrowing her eyes and leaning forward a little as she tried to make the form out. From here it did look like a human man, apparently naked, moving listlessly with one hand trailing on the door as if seeking for something. He stepped oddly, lurching more than walking, his manner as if he were injured somehow, or sick.

"Is that one of the colonists?" Garrus asked as Shepard halted the MAKO altogether.

"I don't know," she murmured. "You two stay put. I'm going to check it out."

Climbing out of the vehicle into the stiff wind, Shepard pulled out her pistol and quickly glanced around the bridge, just in case the laconic fellow wasn't alone. Seeing nothing but stone and dust, she started forward carefully, pistol gripped in both hands though pointed at the ground.

As she drew a few feet closer, she grimaced faintly. The man's skin was sickly gray and green. Seeming oblivious of her he was making a low moaning sound as he groped feebly along the door.

Stopping a few yards away she watched him a moment, then called out. "Hey, you! Buddy, you ok?"

The man looked at her, hands dropping from the door. As he turned toward her nausea lifted momentarily in her throat.

Shepard _never_ got nauseous. She'd seen things in her life, in her career, that would have made lesser folk fall to their knees in horror and disgust. She'd crawled through sewer tunnels clogged with human waste of every description. She'd seen half-putrefied corpses split open when they were moved, spilling liquefied innards in a sludge of organs and maggots, bones disjointing like overcooked chicken. She'd seen those dry, dusty abominations on Eden Prime that fell apart like broken mummies filled with ash when they were shot.

Heck, just that morning, she'd dug pieces of colonist out of her hair and the collar of her suit. It took a _lot_ to disturb her.

Yet as the man turned toward her, his loose flesh seemed to shift along with him as almost an afterthought, sliding on his bones, she felt her stomach give a faint, uncomfortable turn. His eyes, which at first seemed merely lost in dark hollows…were actually absent. Those dark hollows were bruise-like indentions on that thick, oddly fluid gray skin.

He had no lips, and his teeth looked somehow…_spongy_. Though naked there was no genitalia in evidence. He looked like an odd mock-up, a rude caricature of a human being.

Then, suddenly, he ran forward. A belching, rasping cry escaped from his suddenly gaping jaws as, hands uplifted toward her, he broke into a jog. Grimacing behind her mask, Shepard snapped her pistol up and fired three times.

Two shots landed in his legs, aiming to cripple or incapacitate him, make him stumble. The third shot slapped into his shoulder.

All three shots struck home perfectly, but there was no blood, and the thing barely twitched in reaction. The shots sank as if in thick paste, leaving no real harm behind and slowing the thing not a single iota.

"Fuck me," Shepard muttered and let off another round of shots. She vaguely heard the passenger door of the MAKO snap open and thought _She can never stay put, can she?_

Each shot, aimed at the chest or the head, hit home…but she may as well have been shooting into ballistics gel for all the impact it made. The headshot had the most impact, at least producing an odd green-grey ooze.

Though its run seemed fairly disjointed, it was moving much faster than she had expected. As it drew closer, Shepard almost in reach of its grasping arms, she lowered her head with a growl of determination and charged.

Tackling the thing was like tackling a side of beef. The flesh seemed to give way a little before becoming remarkably firm, the impact more what she would have expected of a 'human' man twice his size. The tackle should have thrown him to the ground…instead he only staggered a little, then seemed to surge forward. Taken off balance, Shepard slammed back on the ground with the creature on top of her.

Grappling for a hold, she rammed her knee into its gut as hard as she was able…and was shocked to feel skin rupture as her knee sank in much further than it should have. A smell like rancid swamp-water filled the air as a gush of slightly gelatinous sludge splashed out of its torso.

Yet _still_ the thing was fighting her. Fingers scratched at her face, catching hold of the filter mask and managing to pull it halfway off as she struggled to force it back. Its face, with its inhumanly gaping jaws filled with slug-like teeth, was only inches from hers when a sudden burbling sound rushed out of its chest.

Shepard's eyes snapped shut instinctively as a wave of foulness vomited out of the creature's mouth, splashing in a rush of slimy cold over her face and neck, under the askew filter mask. It surged up her nose in a burning rush, the smell of decomposing algae and swamp water making her head spin. Gagging, she felt her gorge rise as it swept into her mouth and she revolted, fighting to shove the thing back and off her as she tried to breathe.

Suddenly it was ripped away, either by Garrus's muscle or Liara's biotics. Rolling onto her side, gagging and coughing, Shepard vomited, struggling to breathe. Air seemed to be coming only thinly, her sinuses burning like they'd been rubbed with sandpaper. Her mouth was filled with bile that tasted of asparagus left sitting in the sun for a week, and she spat frantically, then shoved her own gloved fingers down her throat again to induce another surge of vomiting.

She was vaguely aware of the sound of a shotgun going off, a heavy thud, and an unimportant splash. Then an arm was around her, urging her to her feet. Everything seemed muffled and distant, the only clear sound her own whooping coughs and thin, wheezing breaths. She wasn't sure who had a hold of her.

As she got to her feet another wave of dizziness seemed to spin the world, and she stumbled. Coming up against the MAKO she leaned her back on it, hanging her head as she continued to fight for air, spitting and gagging and coughing until her lungs felt ready to burst.

"Here, hold still," a muffled voice holding the deep rumble of Garrus ordered. A hand came up to her forehead, lifting it before something cool and wet splashed over her face, clearing away the bile.

Fumbling out, Shepard snatched hold of the canister of ration water in his hand and took a hefty swig before spitting it back out on the ground, eager to get rid of the taste. Her breathing coming easier now, she coughed a time or two, then dumped some more water over her face before taking another swig and spitting away the foulness.

"Fuck me," she finally panted. Tiny fingers wiped over her eyes and she followed them with her own hand, swiping her sight clear.

The creature was dead a few feet away. It looked like Garrus had taken a shotgun and all but cut the damned thing in half. It lay in pieces amidst a lake of that same foul bile it had vomited in Shepard's face.

Liara swiped at her face again, shaking fingers sweeping water and the last traces of fluid from her cheeks. "Shepard…Shepard, just take deep breaths," she urged, her voice trembling. "Are you all right?"

She took quick stock, then nodded. "Yeah…disturbed and disgusted on a very primal level but…I'm not hurt."

"Are you nauseous?" Garrus asked clinically, peering at her over Liara's shoulder intently.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" she snapped. "I just had the galaxy's nastiest French kiss with a walking sack of rancid vomit…of _course_ I'm fucking nauseous!"

"Shepard, we don't know what was in that…fluid. It could be toxic," Garrus said firmly. "I need to know if you're feeling any ill effects."

"I'm fine," she shot back, and spat on the ground again. Even the dizziness she'd felt had gone away. She wiped a palm over her face, then jerked her chin at him, a little more calmly. "Could use some more water. And it wouldn't hurt to give me the field booster, just in case. Fuck. This is the last time I leave the _Normandy_, even for a fucking pizza, without a full hard-suit and a helmet on. The _fuck_ was I thinking?"

"Sit down," Liara urged as Garrus turned to fetch more water and the small medi-kit. Shepard didn't argue, sliding into a sit against the vehicle. As Liara wiped at her face again, Shepard caught her hand.

"I'm all right," she promised, giving her a faint smile.

Liara met her eyes, then smirked a little, shakily. "Shepard, it is getting so that I cannot take you anywhere without you getting into some kind of trouble."

"Trouble's my middle name," she replied with a raspy chuckle.

"Well, you look like shit."

Shepard's brows lifted and she laughed. "Why, _thank _you T'Soni…and did you just cuss? Seems I'm a bad influence on you."

"Here," Garrus crouched, passing her a fresh water canister. "Turn your head a little."

She tilted her head to the side, giving him access to her neck. Popping off the cap for the field booster, he injected it directly into her carotid. She stretched her jaw a little after he withdrew it, took a swig of water.

"Do…you think _that_ was the Thorian?" Liara asked, looking over her shoulder at the decimated creature.

"Nah, not a chance. Thorian wouldn't be out here by its lonesome, and I doubt some kind of eons old sentient plant just 'happens' to look humanoid. Besides, I don't have that kind of luck. _My_ kind of luck says we'll be seeing about a trillion more of these fucking things before we ever lay eyes on the Thorian."

Getting to her feet, touching Liara's arm reassuringly when the woman protested, she stepped over to the remains of her attacker, and crouched down. That rancid, swamp-water smell was still sharp, threatening to burn her sinuses again. Reaching down, she tugged off a glove and touched the thing clinically.

Its skin was rather reminiscent of a mushroom, a sort of greasy mushroom, tough but yielding. Just beneath was a thick layer of softer, denser, more spongy material thick with that gelatinous goo. There were no actual organs that she could see, and most of the creature seemed completely solid…or as solid as that dense sponge could be. Only its belly area seemed hollow and appeared to be simply a holding sac for that disgusting, decomposing fluid it had vomited all over her.

"No amount of mind control could turn a human being into…_this_," Liara murmured, standing nearby and watching Shepard's examination.

"This isn't a colonist," Shepard agreed. "This is…_was_…grown. This is plant material…some kind of humanoid shaped, ambulatory fungus. My guess is the Thorian is somehow mimicking the human form to grow these mobile little offshoots of itself."

"For what purpose?"

"Protection? Surveillance? Maybe it's even a reproductive system…maybe it carries a seed in this odd hollow spot in its gut, wanders until it finds fertile land to germinate it in."

"It attacked you, Shepard," Liara said. "That hardly falls under the category of 'gentle germination'."

"Might have many different purposes, that's for some egghead to figure out…no offense, Tianlán. My concern is how to kill it. It swallowed my bullets with barely a scratch, like shooting into foam padding or gel. This hollow area in its stomach seems to be the only weak spot."

Looking up at the other two she said, "Shotguns on these things. Aim for the gut and whatever you do, don't let the fucking things get close. They're stronger and heavier than they look and believe me, you do not want to get within smooching distance."

"What about the colonists?" Garrus asked.

"Nothing's changed as far as they're concerned. Even if they fire on us, do your best to disable _only_. That's what the grenades are for. If we run out, butt of the gun in the temple and they'll fold like wet laundry but _don't_ risk your own life to do it. If lethal force is the only way then that's what we have to do, like it or not."

"Understood."

Rising back to her feet she dumped the remainder of the water over the mask that was hanging around her neck, cleaning it before she moved it back up into place.

"All right, let's get too it."

* * *

><p>Unlike the sound Harkin's head had made striking the bar-top, the sound of a shotgun butt slamming into the temple of an ill, disoriented colonist was far more sickening and far less satisfying.<p>

The colonist folded to the ground and immediately Shepard squatted, touching his neck. His pulse was strong. At least she hadn't killed him.

It seemed days had gone by since they'd left the Baynhams. In truth, it was probably only a couple of hours. The colonists had attacked, just as predicted…and as hoped, the grenades had worked like a charm…until they ran out. Fortunately the enthralled colonists were clumsy, easily confused and disoriented, and they were able to disable and knock them out fairly easily.

It was the creatures, the disgusting human-mimics, that were the problem. They wandered through the entire colony, oblivious until someone got too close, then immediately rushing to the attack. Shotguns handled them beautifully, a good shot right to the stomach causing them to almost explode in a rush of bile and foulness. They had nothing in the way of brains or strategy, making no attempt to dodge or avoid danger.

Had the things only attacked them singly, they'd have encountered no trouble. Unfortunately, they tended to cluster in packs and some managed to get dangerously close before they could all be taken out. Garrus and Liara were both covered in that reeking, decomposing 'vomit' though neither had, fortunately, been subjected to the same insult as Shepard had. The smell was putrescent, almost overwhelming, even through the filter masks.

"Shepard, I think we're clear," Garrus called as Shepard straightened from the colonist lying limp at her feet. Scanning around, she saw no more movement…nothing but the scattered bodies of unconscious civvies and ruptured piles of fungal refuse.

"There, commander," Liara pointed. "That is the pre-fab that is covering access to the Thorian. It should not be difficult to move with that crane, it just needs hooked up."

"On it," Garrus said, shipping his shotgun and heading over to the pre-fab as Shepard moved to the crane controls. Powering it up, she swung the arm out over the pre-fab, lowered the cinching straps. As Garrus began to hook them up, she caught motion out of the corner of her eye.

Immediately snapping around, shotgun ready, she spotted Fai Dan moving toward them, his gait broken and shaky, face pale.

"Wants me to stop you," he murmured, voice strained, eyes glimmering with a fevered heat. "Must stop you…"

"Don't make me do this," Shepard barked, the shotgun aimed at his head.

"The pain…you try and resist but the pain…must stop you."

"I mean it! Halt right there!"

His walk slowed but didn't' stop, the grimace of agony growing sharper on his face. "Kill it," he whispered urgently, before drawing out his pistol and planting it against his own temple. "Kill it…for my people…"

The shot was flat and sharp as he managed to pull the trigger, crumpling to the ground. Shepard closed her eyes, lowering her shot-gun, jaw tightening a moment. Looking up, she saw Liara nearby, lowering her own weapon she'd been holding on the colony leader, blue eyes swimming faintly.

Scrubbing a wrist over her eyes, Shepard turned back to the controls.

"Ready?" she barked.

"All square," Garrus called back. Shepard retracted the crane and the pre-fab lifted up into the air, baring a crude stairway that had been hidden beneath it.

Cautiously, the trio moved down deeper into the tower. The disrepair, the age, was more evident here. The stairwell was narrow, gloomy. Pausing long enough to turn on their omni-lights, they worked their way steadily downward.

The air slowly seemed to grow more humid. Shepard could feel a thin sheen of moisture gathering on her skin, feel sweat spreading its greasy fingers at the back of her neck. The only sound was their breathing, their boot-falls on the stone steps, the occasional distant drift of dust as it crumbled from the ancient ceiling.

Then, daylight began to creep in, sweep away the darkness. The staircase ended, Shepard and Garrus sweeping forward with guns ready, clearing the room beyond from any immediate threat.

They seemed to be in an open area that ringed a huge shaft that descended down the middle of the tower. The sun was pouring in from the top of this shaft. To their left and their right, open hallways and stairs leading into enclosed rooms flanked them. In front, great stone pillars turned the fall of sunlight into bright sheets, enhanced with swirling motes of golden dust.

_Dust…and how many of those mind-altering spores, as well?_

Beyond the pillars directly in front of them, the sunlight suddenly shifted, a shadow moving and disrupting the golden glow.

A _big_ shadow.

"It's…just a plant, right?" Liara whispered nervously. Shepard's damp face was grim.

"Those things that attacked us outside were just 'plants' too…be ready for anything."

As she moved forward her gut tightened, her throat suddenly dry as her eyes turned upward.

There was no doubt that this was the Thorian. A great, pulsating bag that, like the creatures outside, was somehow fluid as well as firm. It hung like a beating heart in the midst of the central shaft. A sickening gray green color it was easily half the size of the _Normandy. _Great vines as thick as old-growth redwood trees seemed to be anchoring it in a dozen different locations, cracking stone and clinging to the structure all around it.

Sprouting off its elephant-like hide were thick warty nodules. The largest of these, nearly half again the size of the main bulk, seemed shaped as a rudimentary head. It hung over a concrete ledge slicked with a near constant waterfall of mucus and slime that seemed to rain forth from it, within the midst of more tendril-like vines that put Shepard in mind of a squid, or an octopus.

"Why do I get the feeling our guns aren't going to put a dent in that thing?" Garrus whispered.

"Is it…_aware_ of us, do you think?" Liara whispered.

Shepard continued forward, weapon still ready. Despite being open to the outside air, the chamber was unbelievably humid, the Thorian visibly damp and even dripping with moisture. Shepard's head had begun to ache with the heat, though a quick glance at her companions showed they were not feeling the effects as strongly.

As she drew closer to where the monstrosity was suspended it suddenly became lively. Its pulsating sped up, producing a deep, huffing blast of air, like a groan of agony. The smaller tentacles began to wave and shift, the mucus pouring out over the concrete ledge growing more copious.

Suddenly a form appeared, dropping down to the ledge from somewhere amidst those wavering tendrils, a flood of slime and mucus splashing to its feet as it landed.

The figure, remarkably humanoid, rose from a crouch and looked at them.

No, not humanoid…it was an _asari_. Naked as birth but with no sign of genitalia, and a strange sour green in color, the asari regarded them calmly, before stepping toward them. Her bare feet padded through the puddles of slime, her skin glistening wetly with the same. Unlike the grotesque, humanoid replicas they'd encountered before, this one was stunningly perfect…moved and looked almost identical to an actual asari.

"Who are you?" Shepard demanded, not lowering her gun…wondering if the thing could even speak.

It seemed it could. "I am the voice of the Thorian," she stated. "You are meat, worthless save to rot and feed the roots of the Old Growth."

"I just want to talk," Shepard retorted. "Were geth here? A turian, named Saren…like him?"

She inclined her head over to Garrus, who scowled at the comparison but remained silent.

"One like he came," she answered. "Many cold ones. Trades were made, and then broken. The Old Growth will not be betrayed again by meat."

Suddenly her hands wreathed blue, and Shepard only had a moment to think, _Fuck, it can clone biotics too? _before the unexpected wall of energy hit all three of them, sending them careening back. Though the slam was nowhere near as powerful as the one that Benezia had dealt her, the crash back to the ground was hardly comfortable. Coughing, Shepard jumped to her feet with a growl and opened fire.

Unlike the more crude replicas, the asari seemed far more delicate…responding the way a real asari would have if shot. As she collapsed, Shepard edged back.

"Liara? You ok? Garrus?"

"Fine, Shepard…but I fear we will not be long," Liara replied. Shepard turned around, then grimaced.

All along the stairways, ramps, and open rooms those crude, humanoid vomiters were moving, heading undeniably toward them. Hundreds of them, easily, shambling but not moving nearly slowly enough.

Behind them, the Thorian began making that huffing, retching sound again.

"I told you," Shepard growled. "My fucking _luck_."

* * *

><p>"Shepard, there's another one, just that way," Liara panted. The woman was covered in a layer of dust that clung to the drying green vomit sprayed all over her armor. They had managed to work their way up to the third level ringing the central shaft, and all three were reaching the limits of their exhaustion.<p>

Risking a peek around the corner, Shepard spotted the great tendril that had broken into the next room. One of the Thorian's anchors. Some of them were thin enough to shoot through with machine gun fire, but some…like this one…were as thick as a tree. Shredding the anchors seemed to hurt the Thorian…causing it to moan and huff and pulse frantically. Shepard figured if they managed to dislodge enough of them, they could send the big bag of ugly down the shaft to the ground, four hundred feet below it.

"We need those explosives," Shepard panted as she sat back, looking at the asari.

Garrus had spotted what might have been an old munitions cache in one of the side rooms. The colonists, it seemed, had been holing up weapons and explosives down here…perhaps in an attempt to create a fall-back position in defense of the chamber, if the pre-fab was breached. The turian was retrieving what explosives he could…hopefully enough to rupture this big anchor in the next room.

Suddenly Liara gripped Shepard's shoulders, peering into her face.

"Shepard, you are not well," she said, alarmed.

"I'm fine," Shepard grumped, weakly trying to swipe Liara's hand away. The asari shook her head, only grabbing her the tighter.

"You are sweating madly," she said. "Your color is far too pale, your eyes are reddened and bloodshot-"

"Course I'm sweating, it's fucking humid as hell in here!"

"No…Shepard, it is warm in here but there is little _humidity_. Look at me…asari have much the same temperature tolerances as humans…am I sweating?"

Shepard blinked at her. Though her forehead was glistening a little beneath the dust, she was not sweating anywhere near the level that Shepard was. Liara stripped off a glove with a firm tug, and planted her hand against Shepard's cheek. The touch of her skin was remarkably cool and soothing.

"You are burning up," Liara murmured. "It must be an effect of that bile spray entering your system. Garrus was right, it must be toxic-"

"Hey, let's not jump the gun ok? Even if it was, we got a job we have to finish. We-"

Garrus came in, coughing, and dropped a belt beside Shepard. "I managed to salvage six blast-packs," he told her. "I got a peek through the crack into the west room. There's an anchor but there's easily two dozen of those spewer-things. Also, I found these."

He lay two heavy machine pistols beside the explosives belt. Shepard looked at them, then grinned.

"Ok, Garrus…the next room has an anchor and is empty. I want you to paste two of the blast-packs to its root and blow the fucker off the wall. Liara, we're going to hit the other room and take that one out. With those two down it may be enough to drop that fucking plant."

Protest was clear on Liara's face, but she knew Shepard was right. Sick or not, they could hardly stop and just sit here…they'd all die very quickly if they did that. Shepard needed treatment and that meant getting back to the _Normandy_…which meant finishing what they had started.

They got to their feet, Shepard passing Garrus two of the packs before clapping him on the shoulder. "Be careful. Meet us down at the base of the stairs after that goes off, ok?"

"Shepard, can you and Liara take that many spewers?"

"With these babies and Liara's biotics? You betcha," Shepard grinned, clipping the two machine pistols to her hips. Small, portable, the pistols were designed to spit out rounds as fast as a full sized machine rifle, and with just as much kick. Shotgun be damned, she could cut the fuckers in _half_ with these.

"Be safe," he told her, clapping her on the shoulder, before gripping Liara's hand. "See you downstairs."

"Watch yourself, Garrus," Liara urged, then turned and followed Shepard toward the second room.

* * *

><p>Shepard knew that Liara was right. Since leaving the colony she'd been feeling sicker. Her head had begun to ache some time ago…not the dull, red ache the Prothean beacon had stirred but a biting, clenching throb, like claws digging into the back of her neck and skull. Her nausea had returned, a slow heated roil, and she felt like she was boiling.<p>

Still, she could hold it together. She _had_ to hold it together, long enough to get them back home safely.

Edging to the doorway of the aforementioned room, she peeked around. "Yeah, it's crawling with-" she murmured, only to snap around as Liara barked out a warning.

One of those cloned asari biotics had rushed up behind them. Liara, catching the motion, only had time to turn and cry out, trying to leap to the side, before being hit with a slam that sent her into the wall. Shepard opened fire but each clone, it seemed, had a learning curve. They'd encountered six of them now, and each one seemed a bit faster, a bit sharper than the previous. As Shepard's gun went off, the biotic threw up a barrier that deflected the bullets, never halting her forward motion.

She sent a punch toward Shepard's face. The marine dodged to the side and the fist cracked into the wall behind her, doubtlessly shattering whatever passed for bones in the clone's hand. Sending her own fist into the asari's gut she threw her head forward and slammed it into the woman's face, shattering her nose and sending her careening backward.

"Bitch," Shepard spat, and unloaded a spate of shot into the clone's head. As the thing fell dead, Shepard realized Liara hadn't risen from being thrown. Blinking, she rushed over to the crumpled archaeologist, dropping her gun as she grabbed her.

"Liara!"

The woman grimaced in pain as Shepard shifted her, letting out a little panting sniffle. Her forehead was bleeding where she'd hit the wall, and judging from the way she was reacting she'd either broken her arm or separated her shoulder. Gently shifting her, Shepard got her into a sit.

"I am sorry, Shepard…she took me by surprise," she whispered tightly. Shepard shook her head.

"Surprised me too." She examined the cut with a squint. "You might have a concussion, Tianlán. You dizzy?"

"A…a little. My ears are ringing. I…I just need a moment, Shepard…to catch my breath."

"Hey, no sweat, you just take it easy," Shepard smiled gently. "Sit tight, Sky Blue. Don't move, ok?"

"I…wait, where are you going?" Liara's eyes widened as Shepard drew away, walking over and picking up the explosives belt she'd dropped. Lifting it she fastened it around her waist.

"Don't worry." She gave Liara one of her lopsided grins, a spark in her fevered eyes. "Just gonna take care of some business."

"Shepard, wait-!"

Ignoring her, the human woman strode into the next room. Slowly the spewers sensed she was there, heads turning like carrion birds sniffing the wind. Two dozen of them, blind sockets staring, spongy mouths falling open, oriented on the human woman standing in the door.

Shepard licked her cracked lips slightly, her grin never fading. Hands hovering over her hips she waited for the first one to lift its arms and let out an eager groan, then drew the machine pistols.

The air lit up with gun-fire from both hands. Three spewers on the right, four on the left, danced back as their midriffs were shredded by the pistols, sending explosions of gore splashing across the room. Striding forward, Shepard did not hesitate nor pause in her fire, sweeping her arms around her and sending spewer after spewer crashing to the ground in a rain of its own bile.

On they came, as stupid and predictable as always. Shepard spun around, whipping her gunfire in an arc over five more, each rupture and collapse only raising her high. Turning the other way she lifted a foot and slammed it into the chest of one who had gotten close, knocking him back just enough before she cut him in half as well.

* * *

><p>The sound of gunfire erupting from the room was hellacious, an endless roar of noise. Managing to get to her feet, cradling her wounded arm, Liara called out the commander's name, but couldn't even hear her own voice above the cacophony.<p>

She'd nearly made it to the door when suddenly everything fell silent. Alarmed, she rushed to the doorway, nearly falling against the jam as she stared wide-eyed into the room.

Dead spewers littered the ground, some piled in disjointed heaps of shredded limbs and flesh. Shepard stood in the middle of the room, back to the door and her pistols lowering to the floor. Catching the releases with her thumbs, she popped both overloaded heat-sinks simultaneously, the small devices smoking and glowing almost white hot as they fell to the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

The low, rumbling explosions echoed throughout the tower, mingled with the bellowing moan of the Thorian as its weight shifted, two of its largest anchors torn. Its moan turned more alarmed as its bulk began to tear the other anchors free…a rending of flesh centuries old, a fear of demise it had not felt in untold cycles.

Shepard leaned against the broken wall and watched as the Thorian's weight and momentum became too much for its hold, and it finally broke loose. The echo of its final wail hung in the air, long after the distant, wet crash of its bulk splitting apart on stone four hundred feet below, had faded.

Oddly enough, she felt no sense of achievement or relief. What she felt was wired, angry. The stabbing ache in the back of her skull had dug deeper, less like claws now and more like jolts of electricity that seemed to dance down along her muscles, tensing them, speeding her heart. Everything around her, everything _about_ her, was made of heat and noise and misery.

"Come."

She turned her head and looked at Liara, the woman's voice like a cool splash of sea water striking an overheated pan; a momentary relief but boiled away to steam much too quickly.

The injured asari's eyes were filled with worry and a subdued pain from her wounds, but there was only the worry in her voice as she spoke. "We need to get you back to the _Normandy_."

"Yeah," Shepard agreed. Dizzy, detached, she wordlessly picked her way down the pile of debris left from the destruction of the anchor, crushing pieces of spewers unnoticed beneath her boots.

As they reached the bottom of the stairway, they saw Garrus, covered in dust, scrutinizing something on the wall.

They had all three seen the things before. They were scattered throughout the tower, and they had run past at least a dozen of them during the fight. That they were part of the Thorian was not in question, but they seemed benign enough.

They resembled something between a seed-pod and a blister…a great thick-skinned bag clinging with a dozen different roots to the concrete, some tendrils joining with the larger vines that then joined with the main plant-mass. Now that things had calmed, it seemed the turian was taking an interest in them.

"Garrus, we need to get back to the _Normandy_," Liara called as soon as he was in sight. "Are you hurt?"

He turned and looked at them. "Nothing beyond a few scrapes," he replied, then narrowed his eyes. "Commander…you all right? You look a little strange-"

"That is why we must go," Liara urged. "She is sick. That fluid-"

"What were you looking at?" Shepard mumbled, ignoring the conversation as she stepped up beside the turian, grimacing at the blister-pod.

"I was just curious," he told her. "Thought it might be a seed-pod of some kind, I was concerned if we let them be that the Thorian might re-grow…or hundreds of them, even. Doesn't matter. The _Normandy_ crew can come down and burn them all out. Liara's right. I think we need to get you back to the ship, and she's hardly looking five-by herself."

"I swear to _fuck_, if someone tells me I have to go back to the ship again I'm going to put out some teeth!" Shepard suddenly snarled. Liara blinked, startled.

"Shepard!"

"Commander…" Garrus began, but Shepard ignored them both, crouching and drawing her boot-knife.

"One way to find out what's in them," she grinned, and stabbed the blade into the bottom of the pod, slashing the membrane open.

A glut of green-black slush burst out and poured over the ground, rushing up in a small wave over her boots. Thicker clots, like old jelly, splatted down, before something much larger flopped out with a moist thud.

A body, mostly decomposed down to bone. A human body. As she nudged the remains with her boot, Liara covered her mask with her good hand.

"By the Goddess…"

"I get it," Shepard smirked. "This is the template…how that thing made those spewers. It held a human man in here, somehow 'stole' his form along these tendrils back to the main structure, and spit out the bad copy the same way it spit out those asari mock-ups. I bet one of these pods has an asari body in it, and that's what he was using to make the clones."

"Yeah, I can see that," Garrus agreed, then put his hand on her shoulder. "The crew can look for it. We need to-"

Shepard slammed his arm off of her with a vehemence that was frightening, glaring at him. "Don't fucking _touch_ me, Vakarian," she barked. "That asari might still be alive. We need to find her."

She turned and started away, Liara shaking her head as she trotted after. "Shepard, please…you are not well. There is no reason the crew cannot search for her, now that the threat has passed. You need to see Dr. Chakwas-"

Shepard snapped around, her finger coming up half an inch from Liara's nose. "Shut. Your. Fucking. _Mouth_. The threat hasn't passed, _I'm still here_."

Her grin was feral, and from this close Liara could see the woman's pupils were dilated, making her brown eyes seem black. The whites were almost blood red, and her skin was all but glowing with sweat and fever.

"I'm going to find her if she's alive. I'm going to _find_ her!"

As Shepard stalked away, Garrus stopped at Liara's side. The asari shook her head, tears standing in her eyes. "She's delusional," she said. "She doesn't know what she's saying, what she's doing."

"We need to get her back to the ship, even if we have to knock her out and carry her," he agreed. The pair headed after her, neither eager to try and physically restrain Shepard but both knowing if she didn't get help _now_…it may already be too late.

* * *

><p>Shepard's teeth were skinned back from her lips as she stabbed the knife into one of the pods, ripping the blade along to slice it open. As she did, Garrus and Liara caught up.<p>

"If you hold her with biotics," the turian murmured. "I can-"

He broke off as the pod split open in rush of slime…a form dropping free of it. Unlike the other body, this one wasn't decomposed and liquefied. This one was moving.

The asari coughed and spat as she sat half-crumpled on the ground, gasping for air. Shepard turned around with a look of triumph on her face.

"Ha. I _told_ you," she sniffed, wiping her glove under her nose as Liara and Garrus rushed forward, the young asari dropping down beside the other.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm…I'm all right," the other woman panted, wiping her face. "I…thank you. I never thought I'd get out."

"Who are you?" Shepard demanded, folding her arms and scowling down at the newcomer. Liara helped the other woman to her feet, and the stranger shook her head.

"My…my name is Shiala. I…I was with Benezia, and-"

"Bitch!" Shepard had her pistol in her hand, thrusting it against the startled asari's head. Liara surprised herself by suddenly grabbing Shepard's hand, pushing between the gun and Shiala.

"Don't!" she cried out. Shepard glared at her.

"What?"

"We…we can learn from her," Liara panted quickly. "Find out what Saren was doing here, what he was after. You cannot question her if she is dead!"

Shepard's eyes narrowed and Liara prayed she could still understand sense. The relief was palpable when the human woman lowered the gun.

"Start talking," she grunted. "_Fast_."

Shiala, flustered, began to speak quickly. She told of how she served Benezia, and how when the matriarch had joined with Saren she had followed with several others. She told how being aboard Saren's ship, Sovereign, seemed to eat at your will. They heard voices, she said. Had nightmares. Lost memories. Somehow, Saren had the technology aboard Sovereign to indoctrinate those that spent any amount of time there, to make them fervent adherents to his cause.

Saren had found out about the Thorian, she said. Learned that it had been growing there since the time of the Protheans, that it had the ability to absorb the minds and memories of those it encased in its pods. As a result, it had unique endemic knowledge of that extinct race.

"He called it the Cipher," she said. "He was not doing well he…he hoped that this Cipher would help him to make better sense of the visions that he had been given by the Beacon on Eden Prime. He made a bargain with the Thorian, and I was able to meld with it, to extract this information and then transfer it to Saren's mind as well. In return…Saren gave me to the Thorian."

"He _traded_ you?" Garrus was disgusted. "To be cloned and slowly eaten away in that pod-thing?"

"Yes," Shiala replied. "And I was so convinced, believed so much in him and his plans that I didn't even resist, didn't even question..."

"Cipher…Cipher…" Shepard mumbled as if trying to remember a song from her childhood. Pushing past Liara she gripped Shiala's arm. "It'll fix this shit in my head, right? I need that Cipher!"

"I…of…of course, Commander, I can give it to you just as I gave it to Saren-"

"No!" Liara grabbed Shepard's arm. "No, Shepard, you can't! Not right now! You are too sick. A knowledge meld right now, especially one of that magnitude…you are not strong enough to handle-"

She should have expected the strike, but she did not expect its force. Shepard's fist slammed into her injured shoulder hard, making pain blaze white hot across her eyes. Collapsing to the ground with a cry, for a long moment all Liara could do was grip her wounded arm and try not to faint. Garrus's pistol was immediately in his hand, his eyes ice as he aimed it at the Commander.

"Shepard, you need to stop and think," he barked. "You're not yourself. There is no reason we can't do this later. We can take her to the ship, put her in the brig…you can do this meld when you've recovered."

"You gonna shoot me, Vakarian?" Shepard asked. "Go on, pussy little turian. Prove you got the balls. Shoot me!"

"Shepard…don't make me do this," he rumbled. She snorted in derision, turning back to Shiala and grabbing hold of her arm, shoving her pistol up against the woman's temple. To the asari's credit, she didn't whimper or beg, just caught her breath and closed her eyes.

"Do it now," Shepard hissed in her ear. "Give me the Cipher."

"I…c-can't attain the peace necessary for the meld if you're holding a gun to my-"

"_Give it to me_." She pressed the pistol tighter to the woman's skull, knowing Garrus didn't dare shoot while they were this close together. "Or your pretty little brains are going to be all over this not-so-pretty floor."

"O-okay, I'll try…"

She took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to center herself, before she opened her now-black eyes to meet Shepard's.

"_Embrace eternity_."

* * *

><p><em>We were blind. Complacent. We didn't know. When we first became aware of them…it was already too late.<em>

Reapers.

Shepard ran through the woods, the trees on fire, screaming for her family. The sky was an inferno, enormous ships like grasping metal hands reaching down, spreading flame and death.

_What do they want? Why are they here?_

Shepard felt her bones split, felt her skin blow away like dry leaves, only to still somehow leave her whole to die again. Desperately she looked for reprieve, seeking that cool blue water…that comforting voice.

Liara!

_She isn't here! Where is she? Why can't I find her!_

Liara! Help me!

She came to a ridge. A valley spread before her, buildings crumbling as the ships dealt death and judgment below, wasting the entire city there with no more care or effort than a child might crush a nest of ants. In the sky, she could see a great floating graveyard.

Below the ridge the ground sailed away a hundred feet, two hundred, a thousand. Spreading her arms like wings, Shepard tipped forward and fell.

_Don't leave me here alone! I need the sea!_

The batarian boy fell to his knees in front of her, his hands behind his head. He looked up at her, accepting of his face.

_I'm sorry for what I've done_.

_Not goddamn sorry_ enough!

_Would you kill me, Shepard? _

Now it was Garrus on his knees, hands behind his head, watching her with steady blue eyes. Her bullet snuffed out that gaze like blowing out a candle.

Wrex, defiant even in his surrender. She pulled the trigger.

Tali, her face-mask reflecting back Shepard's own furious gaze. Gun-shot.

Kaidan, dark eyes as solemn and accepting as that batarian's had been.

_It's ok, Commander. I understand. _

_No you don't._ No one _understands._

The blast of her gun seemed to dissolve the human man, scattering him like mist.

Shepard stumbled back, everything a haze, a disjointed smear of color and sound. She fumbled for her pistol but couldn't find it.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed at the forms which crowded around her. "I'll kill you all! I'll kill you all if you don't stay away!"

* * *

><p>As the meld began, Liara struggled to her feet, watching in horror. Garrus strode forward with a curse, intending on pulling the Commander away, but Liara snatched at him.<p>

"No, don't," she panted, tears of pain both physical and not spilling down her cheeks. "If you forcefully break the meld you could kill them both!"

Then Shepard staggered back, Shiala falling into a sit with a groan of exhaustion. Tripping over her own feet, the commander landed with an oof on the ground then began to scoot backward, hands slapping on the stone around her as if searching for something. Stepping around Garrus Liara headed for her side but as she neared, Shepard's wide, unseeing eyes turned to her.

"Stay…!" Shepard spat. "I'll…I'll kill you! _I'll kill you_!"

Suddenly she went from scrambling backward to surging forward, lunging toward Liara as if rabid…and jolted to a halt as she was enveloped in a biotic field.

Liara's body trembled, good hand upheld as she focused the power keeping Shepard at bay. The woman was struggling, spitting slurred epithets and trying to lash out, clearly seeing and hearing things that were not there.

"Liara?"

"Garrus," Liara grit. "I cannot hold her very long. I am too tired, and my head…get Shiala out of here, get _help_!"

Immediately she heard the turian radioing the _Normandy_, his voice urgent. She could spare no concentration on what was said, all her focus going into her biotic field.

It seemed an eternity before she heard heavy boot-steps striding purposefully toward her, followed by several lighter strides. She was nearly on her knees, sweating almost as badly as the commander in an effort to hold the field.

"Drop her, Liara," Wrex's deep grumble suddenly filled her ear. "I got it."

Completely drained, she half collapsed as she released the field. Shepard stumbled, suddenly free. Immediately the maddened human surged forward again to the attack, only to be jolted to a halt once more as Wrex captured her with biotics as well.

"Hmm," he turned his head, looking over his shoulder. "Never saw a human in a blood rage before. Doctor?"

Chakwas was there, balanced on her toes, but did not move forward. "I can't sedate her," she said. "Not without knowing the chemical makeup of whatever it is poisoning her."

"I got it," Ashley strode up, a pair of bind-cuffs in her hands. Wrex gestured and Shepard shifted, slamming to her stomach on the ground with a bark of air.

"Don't hurt her," Liara snapped weakly.

Ashley positioned herself, then nodded. The instant Wrex let go the field she dropped her weight on Shepard's back, hauling her arms back and snapping on the cuffs before the woman could regain her breath.

"Sorry, Skipper," she said as Shepard began to struggle, yelling incoherently.

Now that the commander was fully restrained, Chakwas rushed forward and crouched at her side. As she did, Liara felt a gentle hand on her arm as someone squatted beside her.

"C'mon," Kaidan urged softly. "You need treatment too. Let's get you back to the _Normandy_. Chakwas will take good care of Shepard."

* * *

><p>Liara woke slowly, feeling heavy. Smell came first…the faint sting of antiseptic and the cinnamon tinge of medi-gel. She opened her eyes, blinking at the light above her, before she became aware of voices.<p>

"I've run the panels four times. The toxin is clear of her blood-stream. This seems to be a separate issue…it's far too much like what she went through after Eden Prime."

"You're _sure_ this isn't a side-effect of that poison?" Garrus asked. "She nearly died-"

"I'm positive. There's no trace of it left, the swelling in her brain has gone down, there's no sign of any lingering effects biochemically or neurologically. Only her brainwaves are going crazy, just like they did after Eden-"

Liara sat up so fast her head spun a little, and she touched her fingers to her brow lightly. Chakwas blinked over at the asari, then set aside her data pad and strode over. "Liara? Take it easy. I fixed your arm and your concussion, but-"

"I have to help Shepard," she whispered, swinging her legs off the bio-bed. She could see the commander now, laying on her own bio-bed. She was not as pale as she had been, and the glow of fever was gone, but her eyes were rolling wildly under her closed lids, and she seemed to be mumbling softly.

"Shepard will be fine," Chakwas soothed. "We've cleared the toxin from her system, and-"

"It's not the toxin that's doing this, doctor," Liara got to her feet, steadying herself a moment, before moving over to Shepard's side. "I _need_ to help her."

As Shepard was not conscious enough for eye-contact, physical contact was needed to enforce the bond. However, Liara gently cupping Shepard's face in her hands was only partially related to necessity.

Lowering her head she whispered urgently in the commander's ear. "Shepard…find peace. Find your calm sea. Listen to my voice, let it lead you to that serenity."

The unconscious woman's breathing slowed slightly, her murmuring falling off, and Liara knew she could hear her. "Find peace," she whispered again, then for the briefest moment she touched her lips to Shepard's temple. "I am coming…"

Moving back a little, she closed her eyes tightly. When she reopened them, they had gone black as she found her own center. "I am coming, Shepard…"

* * *

><p>"I would have been terrified," Tali said as she walked along beside Garrus, her voice tremulous. "I can't imagine what it must have been like."<p>

"Well, it wasn't her fault of course," he said. "Chakwas did a full scan on that toxin. If Shepard hadn't vomited up what she did swallow as fast as she did, she would have been dead in minutes. As it was she got a raging fever, started hallucinating…and according to the doctor, it had the lovely side-effect of stimulating her aggression centers. And you know Shepard…she stimulates her aggression centers just fine on her own."

Liara reached the water junction and set down her tools, scrutinizing the pressure valve. Repairs had been going on at Zhu's Hope the last two days, trying to get the colony functioning again. Liara and Garrus had been working on the water situation.

"But she's ok now, right?" Tali asked. "You all are."

"We're fine. Got full bio-scans. There's no trace of spores or infection. Liara's arm is healed up and from what I hear, Shepard's back to normal…grumping to no end about how she's on restricted duty once again."

Tali chuckled. "Well, she wouldn't have to be on restricted duty so much if she'd stop getting herself hurt."

"She does seem to have that talent, doesn't she?"

"She wouldn't survive five minutes if she was a quarian," Tali grinned.

"Yeah," Garrus agreed. "You know, she's going to outlive all of us, don't you? She's far too stubborn to die."

"Thank Keelah for that," Tali replied, then powered on the valve. "Ha! There we go. Looks like we got pressure, finally."

"Good work. I'll let Pressley and Juliana know. With any luck, we'll be able to move on soon."

As Garrus headed away, Tali gathered her tools. She really was relieved that Shepard was all right. Though she was far more gung-ho and gruff than Tali had expected, even out of a human…she had never treated the young quarian as anything less than a valued member of her crew. She talked to her, asked about her family, checked to make sure she was doing all right.

Tali had grown up with nothing but stories about how quarians were viewed by the rest of the galaxy…how they were dismissed as vagabonds, second-class citizens. Since coming aboard the _Normandy_, she had never once felt second-class. When Ashley had voiced her concerns in the mess, about letting her down in engineering, Shepard had defended her immediately…her, a _quarian_, against someone of her own species.

No, Tali was very glad she was all right, and she hoped that what Garrus said was true…that Shepard would end up outliving them all.

* * *

><p>Shiala looked up from her meditation as the door to the <em>Normandy<em>'s tiny brig opened, the single private standing guard saluting as Shepard entered.

Getting to her feet, Shiala solemnly regarded the commander as she stopped just outside the barrier.

"I'm sorry for my behavior when we first met," Shepard told her without preamble. "I was…not myself."

"There is no need for apologies," Shiala replied. "Your chief…Williams? She explained everything. If nothing else, Commander, you saved me from that pod, from the Thorian. I faced a long, slow, and torturous death. I am grateful."

"Don't be too grateful just yet. You were part of Saren's crew. I need a few questions answered before I decide what's to be done with you."

"Of course. I am more than happy to help. I…as you, I had not been _myself_ for a very long time, Commander. Saren, and his ship…it changed us, all that boarded it. It was not until you released me from that pod that my own senses truly returned."

"You're the second person that's claimed Saren was controlling them," Shepard stated. "I find it odd. Why would Saren seem to be so hell-bent on researching mind control if he can _already_ control minds?"

"Perhaps it is technology he simply came across accidentally. It seems tied to his ship, Sovereign. He may only know enough to use it as he has, but seeks a deeper understanding of how it works. I wish I had the answers for you. This is old Reaper tech, Commander. I don't see how anyone can pray to comprehend it fully in such a short amount of time. Saren wields it like a child with a gun…truly unaware of what danger it poses."

"Do you know what the Conduit is…where it is and what it might do?"

"No," she admitted grudgingly. "I'm sorry, but I was not privy to that information. I only know he is seeking it, that somehow it is tied to the Reapers' return. Saren is very careful that no one under his command knows all the details of what we were doing. Not even the Matriarch, I think, knew everything. All I can tell you is that, whatever this Conduit is…it is imperative that Saren doesn't find it. I fear the consequences could be catastrophic."

"Yeah…me too."

"If I might ask, Commander…I know that the circumstances surrounding my imparting of the Cipher to you were…not ideal. Was it of any help?"

"It's not something I want to go through again," Shepard admitted. "I think if we'd both been healthy, in a better state to begin with…well. There's no changing it now. Liara was able to help sort some things out and she seems confident that the Cipher is what was needed to help my brain finally sort this mess out. The visions made a bit more sense but…there are still missing pieces, gaps."

"Yes, Saren had gaps as well, I believe. He was quite temperamental on the subject."

"That missing information has to be somewhere. I need to find it before he does," Shepard murmured, then met Shiala's eyes. "What about you? I can't keep you locked up in here forever, and if you're right about this 'indoctrination' then you were acting out of coercion rather than your own free will. I can't just turn you over to the Council for punishment in a crime that wasn't your fault."

"If I may suggest, Commander…I'd like to stay here. Atone for my actions by helping these colonists, making my home here for a time. I know that what I did was done out of manipulation but it caused some part in their suffering. I do not want to have to face those particular demons the rest of my life."

Shepard folded her arms, pursing her lips a little. "I can respect that," she said. "I'll have to check with the Baynhams and Arcellia. If they're all right with it, then it's fine by me."

"Thank you, Commander. I appreciate it."

* * *

><p>The surging of the sea, punctuated by the cry of birds, greeted Gellian as she stepped off the shuttle and onto the private landing pad of the T'Soni estate. The smell of fresh ocean air was strong, the sunlight bright, and yet she did not seem to see any of it.<p>

Since departing Noveria, Gellian had lost several pounds off her already lean frame, her calories coming from booze and drugs more than food. Her skin seemed more ashen, her hair grayer. She looked at the beautifully sprawling estate with shadowed, watering eyes, before turning sharply to the two young asari who were off-loading the breeding tube.

"Be careful," she barked, striding over. "That thing is worth both your families!"

"It is a krogan," the youngest of the pair stated, wrinkling her nose as she saw within the shifting fluid. "Why do you have a krogan in sta-"

"That is none of your business! Get him inside to my lab and keep your goddamn mouths shut."

Gellian had a small apartment on Benezia's estate…no, it was her daughter's estate now, wasn't it? Liara's. That treacherous little bitch that dared call herself a scientist.

_Benezia didn't deserve a daughter like you…a naïve, cowardly little shut-in. You should never have been born._

Entering her apartment she saw her message console flashing wildly. Accessing it without pause, she strode to her wine service and rummaged out a bottle without bothering to look at what it was, popping the cork and pouring a glass.

"_Madame Osco, this is Kalia Li'trask at the Sileon City Port. We have received the manifest regarding Lady Benezia's remains, and wish to inform you that she will be arriving at the Port in three hours time. We have made arrangements to have her brought to her estate pending final dispensation. We are so sorry for your loss."_

Gellian half glanced at the clock as she downed the wine. The message had been left four hours ago. That meant Benezia would be arriving in the next half-hour.

As she turned to leave, dropping the glass carelessly on the floor, her console flashed again…signaling a live call coming through. Squinting at the display, she scowled, then accepted the call.

A holographic image appeared, hovering over the pad. The human woman that shimmered into view arched a brow as she caught sight of the mad genius.

"Well, Osco," she commented in a smooth voice, thick with an Australian accent. "You're looking as withered as ever."

"The fuck do you want, Lawson?" Osco grumped. "I'm busy."

"Yes, we heard about Matriarch Benezia. Our condolences."

"Stick your condolences up your ass. I don't have time for you or for Cerberus. I quit…or did you forget?"

"If I recall correctly, the Illusive Man threw you out."

"Then you recall _incorrectly_…small wonder given your limited little brain."

"Look, much as I love talking to you again I'm only doing this on the Illusive Man's instructions. So let me speak and then we can both put this to an end, all right? He wanted me to tell you that your 'special little project' has hit the radar again, and to contact him if you'd like further information."

Gellian's eyes unfocused slightly, her gaze scanning along the somewhere in mid-air, as if reading portends and prophesies written there.

"My project…"

"That's all he told me."

Gellian's face tightened. "Tell him I don't…don't care. I have another project I'm working on now. Something bigger, grander. I'm done with Cerberus, remember? Done!"

"Thank God for that," the holographic form folded her arms. "I'll pass the message along."

Just like that, the call terminated. Gellian wiped a trembling hand over her eyes a moment. Her project…it had so obsessed her, such a long time ago. There was a day that this news would have sent her running back to the Illusive Man, ready to give him anything he wanted in exchange for knowing where _she_ was.

But now…._now_. Everything had changed.

Striding out, she paused by her lab only long enough to make sure the tank was being secured properly, and to snatch a pair of small items out of a drawer. By the time she got across the estate to the entry hall, the hover-casket containing Benezia's remains was just arriving.

The servants blinked at her, then retreated a bit as she snapped at them, demanding they leave. Though each one was far older than she, and most were fairly powerful biotics to boot…they all knew that Osco was slightly unstable. Benezia had tempered it but…well, there was no telling what the human woman would do now that the matriarch was dead.

The casket was environmentally sealed, of course…perfectly preserving the body. Osco tapped at the controls and there was a faint hiss of releasing gasses as the lid began to fold and retract.

"Are you sure you should open that," one of the servants ventured. "I-"

Gellian glared, and the woman's mouth snapped shut.

Benezia's face was pale and serene, her hands folded over her stomach. There was no visible sign of the wounds that had killed her…Liara had apparently seen to it that she was tended to, put into a clean dress. Seeing her face Gellian felt hot tears blur her eyes with surprising swiftness.

Bending over the edge of the casket, she was shaking as she kissed Benezia's cheek.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I should have been there."

Closing her eyes she felt the grief and the hatred wanting to overwhelm her. Shepard would pay. Shepard _would_ pay.

Leaning back a little she carefully wiped away the tears that had fallen onto the matriarch's face. Then she produced the two items she'd taken from her lab; a small scalpel, and a specimen jar.

Gently she cut a tiny wedge of flesh from near the matriarch's ear, where it would not be easily seen, and tapped it into the specimen container, before secreting both back into her pocket. Reaching out a final time, she trailed her fingers down Benezia's cheek, gazing at her face.

"Your daughter is weak. She did nothing to stop what happened to you. She didn't deserve you."

Wiping her eyes, she stepped back, and hit the control to close the casket once again. Turning away, she walked with determination out of the entry, heading back to her lab. As she did, her face steeled and she smiled.

"I'll give you a much _better_ daughter."


	13. Chapter 13

Thoughts distant, Shepard sat cross-legged on the bed in her quarters, a smoke between her teeth and her guitar on her lap. She was idly picking at it, playing no tune in particular, just trying to _be_.

She didn't remember much about what had happened below Zhu's Hope. Her last really clear image was that of the Thorian breaking free, falling into nothingness. After that, everything was little more than broken images, thoughts, sensations.

She _somewhat_ recalled the conversation with Shiala. More painfully, she had a vague memory of hitting Liara, slamming her fist into her shoulder and knocking her to the ground.

Ironically enough, the visions from the Beacon that burst through her mind shortly thereafter were more distinct. The final one was what troubled her the most. Shooting that batarian boy…that was a memory. The face of the boy changing to members of her crew, however…that was neither memory, nor beacon-vision.

_Just hallucinations. A result of the fever, that's all._

She'd told herself that a dozen times now. Problem was, it didn't _feel_ like that. It felt…somehow _premonitory_, an inevitability rushing up on her.

It wouldn't be the first time, after all. How many marines _had_ she ordered to die on Torfan? Men and women who trusted her, who'd sat and played poker with her, who'd watched her back? Friends. How many _friends_…just like this crew had become her friends?

Shepard didn't know if she believed in prophecy, if what she'd seen was a vision of some inalterable future or merely her own fears made real through some poisoned, fevered dementia, but the painful truth was, she couldn't get it out of her mind.

Shepard was a fighter…she always had been. It was all she knew how to do. Yet, sometimes, she found herself so sick of fighting, of being strong. Sometimes at night, she found herself laying and staring into the dark, believing if she just closed her eyes and wished hard enough, that she'd simply fade away…vanish…and not have to fight any more.

Sick or not, what had happened on Feros only proved that she really _was_ a danger…to herself and those around her.

According to Chakwas, she had been violent, out of control…some side-effect of the toxin swelling her brain, making her paranoid. She had all but forced the meld with Shiala, putting both their lives…not to mention their sanity…at risk. She had attacked her closest friends.

_Paul, what would you make of what I've become?_ she wondered. _Some hero I turned out to be, huh?_

What if she hadn't just hit Liara in the shoulder? What if she'd just started beating her and hadn't let up? What if she'd shot her instead? She'd had her pistol in her hand the entire time. At any point, she could have shot Garrus or Shiala or even Liara. What did that say about her character, when her first instinctive impulses, even in a delirious fever, was to inflict _hurt_, to destroy with _anger_?

Her door chime brought her out of her thoughts and she glanced upward. "Come in."

As the door parted, Liara stepping within, Shepard stopped her idle strumming and plucked her cigar from her mouth. Though it was only half-smoked, she leaned over and reaching out toward the ashtray on the bedside stand.

"You do not have to do that," Liara said, holding up a hand. "I…kind of like the smell. It reminds me of autumn…back home."

Shepard arched a brow, then nodded, tucking the smoke back in her mouth before gesturing at the end of the bed. "Have a seat."

As Liara sat down Shepard leaned back a little and said, "You're unusual. Most people who don't smoke think it stinks. Eh. It's a dirty habit anyway. One I can't seem to let go of."

"If you do not mind my asking…why did you begin in the first place?"

Shepard held the smoldering butt between her fingers and regarded it as if it were the Holy Grail. "To be honest? I hate being hungry."

"I…do not see the connection," Liara said, confused.

"When I was a kid…little still, and stuck in that room with…those _people_…I had very little to eat. Mostly scraps they dropped or forgot about, that I was able to scrounge up. Most days, there was nothing. If I cried or if my stomach rumbled, they realized I was there, and then I got hit. I guess it became a sort of conditioning. Hungry, stomach rumbled, get beat…got so I was terrified of my stomach making sounds."

Liara watched her silently, sympathy in her eyes as Shepard continued to watch the cigar butt slowly creeping into ash.

"The man was a smoker. Cheap little two-bit smokes that smelled like ass and tasted worse but…when you get hungry enough, you'll eat anything. If I was lucky I could pick out two or three spent butts from under the sofa after they'd passed out. And I learned something. Chewing on them made my stomach stop grumbling."

She finally looked up at Liara with a shrug. "Tobacco is an appetite suppressant. After I was out of that place I guess I was a little addicted…both to the tobacco itself and the fact that it helped silence my stomach. I stole smokes from public trays in the subway system…sometimes right out of people's pockets. When I joined the Reds, lots of the kids smoked, and it became easier." She smirked faintly. "I became a bit of a connoisseur, I guess. Nancy got me to stop for a little while but it didn't last. Don't touch those shitty little two-bit smokes any more. Found a taste for these and I've kind of been faithful ever since."

Glancing up and seeing the expression on the asari's face, she waved her hand lightly and took a final drag on the butt, before scrubbing it out anyway.

Twin streams of smoke leaked out of her nostrils as she said, "I doubt you came to hear depressing stories, anyway. Dead is dead. So, what's up?"

"Garrus wanted me to tell you that the colony's power and water are back on, and that Shiala was granted permission by Arcellia and the Baynhams to stay with them. I think it is a very generous, forgiving thing that you are doing."

Shepard snorted. "She made mistakes, she wants to work them off. Throwing her in prison wouldn't do anyone any good."

"It takes wisdom to see that, Shepard. Some people would simply have killed her, regardless of her circumstances."

"Yeah, well." She shrugged, then changed the subject. "Look…I'm sorry about what happened down there. Things got kind of…ugly. I hear I was a bit out of control."

"I had to use a biotic field to subdue you," Liara said, oddly with some trace of amusement. "You are quite the…whirlwind…when you want to be."

"Or when I _don't_, apparently," Shepard replied. "I know I was sick…I barely remember anything about it but…well. I appreciate you and Garrus taking care of me, not letting me do something… _really_ stupid. And I'm sorry for hitting you."

Liara idly rubbed her healed arm, then shook her head. "You did not mean to."

"Yeah well…what does it say about me that my first reflex is to punch?" Shepard asked bitterly.

"It says that you grew up learning to be defensive, never knowing when danger might come," Liara said patiently. "It means you only knew one way to survive-"

"C'mon, Liara…_bullshit_. I haven't been a kid for a long time. I'm a goddamn trained marine. I spent two years in an institution, eyeballs deep in therapy, to help me deal with this shit. I can't blame my temper on anything else but _me_ anymore. It's my own goddamn responsibility. Yeah, I was sick, delusional. If you had been the one poisoned I doubt you would have been hitting people, or threatening them with weapons. For fuck's sake, Liara…I could have shot you or Garrus or that asari girl _at any time_."

"Yes, you could have," Liara told her. "But you did _not_. Even fevered, even…_dying_, confused, you did not use your weapon on us. And that says more to me than anything. You still restrained yourself, still sought to protect your friends, to complete the mission. You do not blame Shiala for actions that were without her control, Shepard. Do not blame yourself for the same. I am not so fragile I cannot take a hit…even from the mighty Shepard."

Shepard wiped a hand over her face, then smirked wearily. "So I'm 'mighty' now, am I?"

Liara grinned, an act which made her nose wrinkly cutely. Shepard loved it when she grinned like that, and echoed it with her own.

Then she gestured at the guitar still sitting on the commander's lap. "I must admit, I am curious about this instrument, Shepard. You were playing it in the bar that day Ash insisted I go out for drinks, but I could barely hear it in the noise. It is quite similar in appearance to an asari _bilsa, _but you hold it much differently."

A glow flashed deep in Shepard's brown eyes as she smiled. It made her look younger, lighter somehow. "This is a guitar," she said. "Best instrument ever made by the hand of man. Most of them have holographic interfaces any more…supposed to be indistinguishable in sound from the real thing but…I can tell the difference. Real guitar just sounds…well, like a real guitar."

"Would you play me something?" Liara asked. Shepard lifted her brows, then shrugged.

"Yeah, sure. But I sing like a horse caught in a hay thresher so…I won't even try to offend your ears with _that_."

Pondering a second, she settled on one of her favorite songs, _Blind Hope_ by Charles Flatwood. Setting her fingers she began to play, swiftly finding herself settling back into the zone as she did. Truly, _this_ was Shepard's therapy. Though she hadn't lied to Chakwas about how she found fighting cathartic, how being a marine helped to channel her anger and negativity into a positive force, in truth the only time she really felt able to center herself, to find a quiet deep inside, was when she played.

The song was slow, mellow, bluesy. Though she did not sing she could hear Flatwood's voice in her head as did…a voice like melting chocolate. Liara listened intently, rapt, but Shepard was barely aware of her any more…at least until the song ended and the asari clapped softly.

"That was beautiful," she said. "And it brought such a peace to your face."

Shepard blinked. "Did it?"

"Yes. You try so hard to hold on to such a stern shell, Shepard…but as you were playing, I could see it just slip away from you. I have never seen you so serene. The music that you played…what was it?"

"Uh…it was a song by a blues singer, Charles Flatwood. You think the music was good you should hear him sing. Uh, here, actually…"

Setting the guitar aside she rose off the bed, going over to her console and pulling up her music list. "I listen to a lot of jazz and blues," she explained. "Flatwood is one of my favorites. He just emanates this kind of…you know…what you said."

"Peace?" Liara smiled slightly. It was odd to see Shepard even slightly flustered, and her heart warmed a little to think that Shepard was flustered because of _her_…because she wanted to share something personal, even vulnerable, with Liara.

"Yeah," Shepard said with her patented, lopsided grin as she selected a song. "Now _this_ is Flatwood."

As she straightened, _Candlelight Mist_ began to play, Flatwood's deep, mellow tones filling the room. Liara inclined her head as she listened, letting the music paint its colors.

Asari loved music in general…but it seemed there was a great deal of difference in asari music than human music. Not, of course, that the small sampling of human music she'd been exposed to was really much basis for comparison but…well, for one…asari had no male singers. The deeper voice, the more gravelly edges…she would not have really considered a male human as being much of a singer…but Flatwood proved her wrong with the very first syllable. There was something primal about it, yet soothing, comforting.

"You like it?" Shepard asked, and Liara nodded.

"Oh, very much. It is so…soulful. More _emotional_ than I was expecting."

"That's blues for you," Shepard told her, then stepped over and held out her hand. Liara blinked at her, and Shepard grinned.

"C'mon. Don't tell me you don't know how to _dance_, T'Soni."

Liara colored faintly, then reached up and took the hand, allowing Shepard to draw her to her feet. As the commander slid an arm around her waist Liara felt that sensation of safety again, of protection…of utter belonging.

Moving to the music seemed a natural progression, and she was easily guided by Flatwood's voice, almost as if the man himself were there, telling them what to do. Shepard gave her a little dip and Liara laughed, shaking her head as Shepard grinned.

"It is good to see you smile," Liara murmured as they continued on.

"Hmm. Well, I blame that on you," Shepard grumped softly. "You know you're wreaking havoc on my reputation, T'Soni. Next thing you know I'll be decorating my quarters in pink fluffy carpets and painting my toenails."

"Oh really?" Liara lifted her brows. "I will have you know, Commander, I have _never_ painted my toenails."

"Yeah? Not even once, hmm?" Shepard asked. "Well, my impression of you is completely blown."

Liara gave a faintly indignant squeak, and lightly slapped Shepard's shoulder. "And just what kind of image did you have of me?"

"Oh, you know…typical Citadel airhead. Prancing around in high heels, little dog on an shiny leash-"

"Ooh!" Liara slapped her shoulder lightly again, making Shepard laugh.

Liara giggled, shaking her head. "You are…incorrigible."

"That's me," Shepard smirked.

The song drew to an end. The two fell still but neither made any move to release the other, or step away. There seemed a strange tension in the air, an energy. Liara bowed her head slightly, closing her eyes as she tried to make sense of it…of the emotions and feelings moving through her. They were inexplicably powerful…more so than she had been expecting, and they left her a little dizzy.

"Tianlán? You ok?"

"Yes…I-"

She opened her eyes, looking into the human's deep brown gaze. Lifting a hand, Liara almost unconsciously cupped Shepard's cheek, and leaned forward.

_{Commander?}_

Joker's sudden voice speaking from the console startled them both, and Liara took a step back with a blink. Shepard scowled over at the console, then huffed out an irritated sigh.

"Sorry," she murmured softly to Liara, before stepping away and slapping her hand down on the accept.

"What is it, Joker?"

_{I've got an encrypted call coming in, flagged private for you. Audio only. Not sure who it's from…even the ID is scrambled. Do you want me to send it down to your room?}_

"Yeah, send it here, Joker."

Liara, flustered, put a hand lightly over her mouth a moment, before she stepped back. "I- I should go. Leave you to your call," she said, turning toward the door.

"You don't have to," Shepard answered, looking at her. "It shouldn't take that long-"

"No, no…it…it might be classified and…no, I need to go."

Without waiting for the commander to try and halt her again, Liara fought not to break into a run as she headed out of the room, her head spinning.

"Fuck," Shepard mumbled, planting her hands on the console a moment and letting out a frustrated sigh, before she accessed the call.

"This is Shepard."

"_Commander, my name is Nassana Danti-"_

"Ms. Dantius, you'd better have a _really good reason_ to be calling me just now," Shepard barked in irritation.

"_I tried to contact you on the Citadel, Commander, but as I recall you dismissed my messenger."_

"You didn't try to 'contact me', you tried to summon me like an errant pet," Shepard spat.

"_I am an emissary on the Citadel, Commander. I do not appreciate being talked to in such a way."_

"Lady, I don't have to talk to you _at all_. I can very easily hit this shiny little button right here and give you the dial tone. Good luck whining to the Council about how a Spectre hung up on you…I'm sure they'll see the delicious irony. Now, if you want my help, get to the point. The first word you say I don't like and I'm pressing this button, get me?"

"_Commander, I am calling because my sister has been taken by pirates, out on the edges of the Traverse,"_ Dantius said bluntly. Shepard blinked, her finger lowering from its hover over the disconnect.

"Pirates?"

"_Yes. They took her from her transport as she was heading back to the Citadel from Ilium. I have received ransom demands, an astronomical number. I have been trying to call in every favor I have but there is no possible way I can secure the credits in time…not in the amount they're asking. They are threatening to kill Dahlia unless I can pay them and the methods of torture and mutilation they have described are…are not pleasant. Commander, I was hoping to engage your services. With your position as a Spectre and your…unique talents you would be able to rescue my sister from harm."_

"How long have they given you? Do you have any idea where they're holding her?"

"_I have one more week,"_ Dantius stated. _"I have managed to trace their base to the Artemis Tau cluster but I cannot say which planet or moon it might be on. My sister is everything to me, Commander…the only family I have left. Please…"_

"All right. I'll get my people on it, see if we can't pinpoint the exact location of the base. We're only about a day and a half away from the Cluster at our current position so it shouldn't take us long to get there. I'll do what I can to find her and get her out of there in one piece."

"_Oh, thank you,"_ Dantius's voice broke with relief. _"Please, let me know if you find anything, any clue."_

"I'll keep you informed."

Shepard cut the call, feeling like a total shit that she'd brushed the woman off earlier. Accessing the comm she dialed in the helm.

"Joker, tell Pressley to get things finalized at the colony and get the crew back on board as quickly as possible. We need to head for the Artemis Tau cluster, post haste."

_{Ten-four, Commander. I'm on it.}_

_I need the one person on this crew that is an undeniable expert on all things pirate and merc,_ she thought, pausing only to put her guitar away, before heading out to hunt down Wrex.

* * *

><p>"Hey…hey careful there, Zippy," Ashley joked as Liara bumped into her, the asari rushing past toward the med-bay. As she noticed the look on the woman's face, however, her mirth turned to concern. "Hey…you ok?"<p>

"I…I am fine," Liara stammered.

"Yeah, uh, I call bullshit on that," Ash said. Looking around the crowded mess, she took Liara's arm and lead her into the cargo elevator before releasing her, scrutinizing her face. "Hey, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Really, I am all right," Liara said. "Just…a bit flustered, is all. I…surprised myself."

"Surprised yourself, how?" Ash asked, then held her up hands. "Look, I totally get it if it's none of my business but…sometimes it helps to sort things out if you can talk to someone, you know? And I swear, my lips are sealed. One thing I learned having three younger sisters was how to keep a secret."

"I am…I am afraid," she said rapidly, before she lost her courage. "I am afraid, and I have been selfish, and-"

"Whoa, slow down! Selfish? You are _not_ selfish."

"But I am," Liara replied. "I…Ashley, I know that it is no secret among the crew that I have…feelings, for Commander Shepard. It is not something I am ashamed of, but my feelings are self-serving."

"How are-"

"Please, let me finish. I have never felt this way before, and I have been so caught up in trying to process and categorize these emotions that I did not see the 'bigger picture'. It would not be such an issue if…if it did not seem as though Shepard returned my feelings."

"Wait…it's a problem because you like Shepard…and she likes you too? Usually, that's what we call a 'plus'."

"Under any other circumstances, yes. But when we were on Noveria, when my mother was suspending Tali and me in a dangerous situation…Shepard exposed herself to stupid risk out of concern for me. She was injured as a result. And just three days ago, under Zhu's Hope…when I was thrown into the wall her concern distracted her once again. Had there been any more than just the one assailant she could have been killed."

"Hey, look…don't worry about it so much. Shepard is a trained marine. She knows how to handle risk-"

"No. This mission is too important. _She_ is too important. I cannot let my personal feelings get in the way. I cannot allow her to become distracted, to allow…whatever this might be, growing between us…to jeopardize the mission. I have selfishly let my own feelings blind me to what is truly at stake here. Saren must be stopped. All her energies must be devoted toward that end."

"Ok, ok…I hear where you're coming from but…you might want to say this to her, you know? And it's not the end of the world, after all. Shepard's gonna get us through this. I have no doubt whatsoever about that. We're going to find Saren and this Conduit and put a stop to this whole Reaper thing. So…if that's the way you feel then…just talk it over with her. Put things on hold, focus on the mission right now and when it's _over_…then you can take things as they come, right? It's not like once Saren goes down you two won't ever see each other again."

"True," Liara murmured, lowering her head a little.

"I'm sorry, Liara. This shit is never easy, even under the best of circumstances. Nothing is ever like it is in the vids…no one ever just gets swept off their feet and everything after that is perfect. But honestly…that's what makes it cool. It's fighting through the obstacles, meeting the challenges, that show us who we are…shows us what's worth fighting for. If what you two might have is worth it, then it's not going to just vanish away."

"I am finding humans are much wiser than I expected," Liara replied with a nod. "Thank you, Ash. I am still…this is all still very confusing but…you are correct."

"Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head," Ash joked. "And, can I just say, off the record? You got dangerous taste."

"I…what?"

"There are krogan that wouldn't tackle a challenge like the commander. That alone says a lot about you. One thing no one will ever be able to call you is a coward, or someone who backs down from a fight. Good for you."

* * *

><p>"You're bluffing. I can tell by your face."<p>

"You cannot see my face, Joker," Tali replied dryly, regarding the pilot across the table. Garrus leaned back nearby beside Ashley and Liara, the three watching the interplay with amusement.

"I can see your face just fine," Joker retorted.

"Oh yeah?" Tali challenged. "What do I look like?"

"Like…someone who's bluffing," Joker replied defensively.

"Well then, if you think I'm bluffing, call me on it." She canted an elbow on the table, tapping the surface beside the small pile of credit chits and discarded cards.

Joker scowled, looking from his cards to Tali, then back at the cards. Finally letting out a huff, he slapped them down on the table. "I fold."

"Ha!" Tali triumphed, laying down her own hand. Joker gaped at her busted flush.

"I _knew_ you were bluffing!"

"Tough break," she laughed, scooping the pile of chits toward her. "Want to play again?"

"I'm broke," Ashley said, holding up her hands.

"I know when to quit. You're a killer," Garrus snorted. "I thought you said you'd never played before?"

"Shepard told me to say that," Tali replied, a smile clear in her voice. "She said it was a…'mislead', and that I'd make a killing. It worked."

"_Shepard_ taught you to play?" Joker rolled his eyes with a groan. "Yeah, I'm out. If I don't quit now you'll end up with my braces as well. I-"

"The commanding officer is returning aboard. Shore party in decom," the _Normandy_'s VI intoned from somewhere near the ceiling.

"That was fast," Joker said, then got to his feet. "I'd better head up to the helm in case she wants to launch right away."

"Course it was fast," Ashley smirked. "Shepard against a bunch of stupid pirates? I'm surprised it took _this_ long."

As Garrus and Tali cleaned up the cards, Joker headed up to the CIC with Ashley and Liara en tow. As they neared the airlock, decom completed and the doors hissed open, admitting a very angry looking commander.

"Wow, Shepard…everything all r-" Ashley began, only to blink as Shepard strode past, heading for the helm.

"Yeah, you don't want to get in her way right now," Wrex rumbled, entering the ship behind her.

"Everything ok? You guys don't look injured."

"Please. Those stupid slavers didn't even scuff our pads," he grinned.

"Wait, _slavers_?" Ash folded her arms. "I thought you were going after pirates."

"So did we."

"We also thought we were rescuing a hostage," Kaidan said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Turns out, Dahlia Dantius was hardly in trouble…she was _running_ the damn ring. She wouldn't let up. Shepard had to air her out."

"Shit! No wonder she's in a mood. Do I need to get Chakwas and the medical team to the base?"

"No, looks like we just missed a big shipment, probably only by hours. Wasn't a single slave on the property but plenty of cages, collars…and credit chits."

"Great. Yeah," Ashley looked toward the helm where Shepard had gone. "This isn't going to be pretty."

* * *

><p>"You'd better goddamn <em>answer<em>," Shepard growled, glaring at helm console as the call flashed 'connecting'. If Nassana had any brains at all, she'd pick up. She did _not_ want Shepard to track her down and confront her in person with this.

Then 'connecting' turned to 'connected' and signaled she had a live line. Someone had picked up, but before they could even speak, Shepard let loose.

"The _fuck_ is your problem? I fell for your goddamn 'worry' bullshit!"

"Calm down, Commander," Dantius all but cooed. "I needed a job done, and you did it. I am in the process of transferring a large number of credits to your personal account to make up for the insult-"

"Fuck you _and_ your blood money! I'm not a goddamn hit man, Dantius! You know, you could have just told me your sister was a slaver and I'd have gladly dealt with it. But no, you had to _lie_…and I really don't like liars, especially ones that try to make _me_ look like an idiot!"

"Please, Commander…I'm a government official with political prospects. Can you imagine the stain it would have brought, on my family _and_ my reputation, having a slaver as a sister? This isn't about you, this is about a quick, quiet resolution to my problem…which I now have. Listen, you don't want to make a fuss about this. If you try and claim I hired you to put a hit on my own sister, I will claim you were hired by someone else to try and wage a smear campaign against me…a campaign in which my sister was an unfortunate victim. The large sum of money that has just been deposited into your account can quite cleverly be traced to several of my detractors so…no one will believe your story. Tell me honestly, Commander…isn't it better for us both if you just quietly accept our little arrangement and move on with your life? Really…what's been hurt here? A slaver ring has been collapsed, a terrible woman brought to justice, and you made a nice bit of shine in the process."

Shepard's glare at the console was so intent that Joker…who was wisely lingering back and out of the range of any fall-out…was amazed it didn't simply catch fire.

"You listen to _me_, Dantius, and you listen _close_," Shepard murmured, her voice calm and even and intently murderous. "You had better stay well out of my way, because if we are _ever_ face to face…I will be the _last thing_ that you see."

She slapped the console, cutting the transmission. Turning she pointed at the pilot's chair and barked at Joker as she strode past. "Get us the fuck out of here, Joker."

"Aye, ma'am," he saluted, before moving over and easing into the seat, keying up launch procedure as he murmured to himself, "I really hope I _never_ get on her bad side…"

Twenty minutes later they were back in the black, when Joker winced, a message notification catching his eye.

_Of all the_ worst _times…_

Tracking down Shepard's signature on his status board, he located her down near the mess, and keyed in the comm.

"Uh…Commander? I know this isn't the best time but…we have an incoming call. Uh…from the _Council_."

_{Tell them they can fucking-}_ she snapped, and then he heard a sigh. _{Fuck. Patch them through to the comm room, Joker.}_

"Aye, ma'am," he replied, and quickly obeyed.

* * *

><p>Shepard strode into the comm room just as the holographic images appeared hovering over their pads. Tevos, perhaps reading from the commander's expression that she was in no mood, spoke quickly before Shepard could say anything.<p>

"Commander, we have news regarding Saren."

"What news?"

"One of our salarian STG units out in the Traverse was researching sightings of Saren and the geth. They tracked the geth to the planet Virmire, and then they went dark," she reported.

"We did receive one message from them, on a channel reserved for priority mission communications, but it wasn't much more than static," the salarian added. "We need you to go there and find out what happened to the unit and if Saren is actually on Virmire."

"Hang on…you sent Special Tasks units to hunt around for Saren too? And didn't tell me?" Shepard asked hotly.

"Shepard, believe it or not, we're utilizing all our resources to find Saren and eliminate the Geth threat," Tevos told her. "We simply did not want to spark an intergalactic incident by sending the entirety of our fleet after one fugitive. And contrary to what you may think…you answer to _us_, we do _not_ answer to you. We are using all relevant tools at our disposal, and you are but one of them."

"Go to Virmire, Shepard. I know it's not releasing dangerous species on the galaxy or helping little corporate colonists, but it still _might_ be important," the turian Councilor said patronizingly, a breath before the holographs faded.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note:

I just wanted to start off by saying a few things so…feel free to skip over my rambling if you want :)

Firstly, a **huge** thank you to all the wonderful reviews. I really enjoy reading them and seeing that people are actually liking what I'm putting down. I still find the overwhelmingly positive reception to be a little shocking but…hey, I'm not going to argue! So thank you, and thank you to everyone who has added this story to their alerts and who follow along faithfully.

Secondly, chances are my next chapter won't be up until Monday. Weekends are always up in the air and I don't necessarily have to time to concentrate or write, so don't expect too much in the way of updates on weekends…I gotta take a break sometime! :D

Thirdly, some notes about the story itself. These have come up from readers in email and PM (and a couple in reviews) so I just want to answer/address them all here.

1) Yes, I'm aware that some things are not strictly canon. I am trying to keep as close to canon as possible but let's just face it…there are some things in the game that are put in place specifically by the programmers to keep the game flowing in the wanted direction. Programming costs money, so they have to pick what goes in and how it unfolds. Honestly, some of it just isn't natural and while it works for a video game, doesn't necessarily translate or make sense when written.

Chances are, if you see some detail in this story that is not canon or something is fudged a bit…it is probably on purpose, to give Shepard's reactions actual logical meaning rather than just be 'this is how she reacts because this is the way we want the game to go.'

For a specific example…thermal clips. Game lore has it they were developed based on geth tech after the attack on the Citadel. About two months pass between the attack and Shepard's 'death'…yet when Shepard wakes up at the Lazarus Project, one of the first things she does is ask for a thermal clip. Now, I understand why the game developers chose to do it this way, and it works for the _game_, but from a more 'real life' perspective, I find it extremely difficult to believe that thermal clips were discovered, researched, developed, and mass-produced to the extent they were common-place…all in the two months dividing the Citadel attack and Shepard's demise. And that is what would've had to have happened to make Shepard immediately realize what was wrong with her weapon just after she woke up from her coma. So, easier for the flow of the story if I just make thermal clips common-place to begin with.

2) Shepard's middle name is Spruce. She hates it even more than she hates 'Delilah'.

3) Shepard is not Chinese, she is mostly Native American with some mix of random European. Shepard's occasional spouts of Chinese (such as nicknaming Liara 'Tianlán') is a personal idiosyncrasy. She learned some Chinese from some of the thugs running with the Reds. And it is my own personal nod to Firefly…as is Shepard once calling herself 'a space cowboy'

4) Yes, Yoh Etat will be back, in at least one very key moment in this first story and most likely in the two sequels as well.

5) No, I don't have this written already. I am writing 'live'. That is, when a chapter gets posted I have most likely literally just finished writing it and running the spell-check. I do a quick re-read to make sure there are no egregious errors. Yes, I write _very_ quickly. Just to give you an idea, most of my writing takes place while I'm working…so I'm doing both my job and writing on DE at the same time. Quick typist for the win! And yes, believe it or not, I am making this up as I go. I have a vague idea for some future scenes and of course for my OCs but for the most part, I decide on the fly what's going to happen. I had no idea that Shepard was actually going to be poisoned until the thing puked on her. I learned a long time ago that my best writing tends to come out when I _don't_ plan, and just go with my gut.

6) Yes, I am still planning on carrying this tale along all three games. I will write a separate story for each game, and I hope to Zeus that writing Dark Energy 2 will take long enough for ME3 to actually be released and me to do one play-through…otherwise there might be a very long pause between DE2 and DE3.

7) I have played ME through about twenty-seven times. I can recite dialogue verbatim with the characters and tell you without looking just how many mobs are about to round the corner and open fire at any given time. I have played ME2 about seventeen times, and am currently running through ME1 again (with Del, of course :D ) as well as inching a final three Shepards through ME2 to get them ready for ME3. My main 'canon' Shepard is a total Paragon, Soldier, romanced Liara and stayed faithful. She's seriously a huge girl scout. I made Del pretty much the exact opposite. And believe it or not, I _do_ have a life. Kinda.

8) Yes. I am a girl.

9) Once the Dark Energy stories are done, I MIGHT consider doing a Dragon Age series as well. I haven't decided yet, and I have plenty of time to make up my mind so…we'll see.

I think that covers it all. Please, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or concerns that need addressing. I'm more than happy to talk :) Now…I'll let Shepard take over from here. She's looking at me and seems to be a little grumpy, so I'd better get out of her way.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"I can't land anywhere near those guns, Commander," Joker warned as he pointed out the anti-crafts on the surface map. "Even with stealth engaged, they'll swat the <em>Normandy<em> out of the air like she was a fly."

"I'll drop with a team in the MAKO," she nodded. "Go in low and take them out on foot. As soon as I get them disabled I want you to bring the _Normandy_ in right there, just south of the facility. Have you been able to establish any contact yet with the STG unit?"

"No ma'am. The system blocking communications is coming from inside the facility walls, and is pretty damn effective."

"All right. Take us in low out of reach of those guns. I'm going to prep the MAKO."

Turning away from the helm she strode toward the CIC, pointing first at Ashley, then at Liara as she did so. "You and you, hard-suits. We're going down in the MAKO to take out some anti-craft guns."

"Aye, ma'am," Ashley replied without hesitation. Liara, however, fell into step beside Shepard as she headed down to get her own hard-suit.

"If I may have a word with you, Commander…I do not think I should go with you in the MAKO."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is…wrong, I just think someone else might be a better choice."

Shepard stopped in the stairwell, halting her. "Someone else?" she asked. "Liara, I need a biotic."

"Wrex, then, or Kaidan-"

"Ok, cut the crap. What's this _really_ about?" Shepard asked, folding her arms as she scrutinized the young asari.

Liara looked downward, composing her thoughts before she took a deep breath and met the human woman's eyes. "I know that we discussed…_us_," she said carefully. "This…mutual attraction. However, I am afraid we are taking things too quickly, that it is becoming a distraction to the mission."

"Li-" she started, then broke off as Liara interrupted.

"Shepard, you have been injured on every mission I have accompanied. On Noveria, Benezia could have killed you when you were distracted by Tali's and my predicament. Under Zhu's Hope, when I was thrown into that wall that biotic-"

"Hey, stop…look, I'll admit, I had a bit of a stupid moment on Noveria, but that was my own damn fault, not yours. Injuries happen. It's part of being a marine, throwing yourself in the fire. C'mon, Tianlán, you didn't exactly escape those missions unscathed either, you know. Two concussions, a separated shoulder-"

"You were not injured when you went to that slaver base," Liara said hotly. "A mission where I _was not_ present!"

Shepard straightened a little, blinking. "Are you kidding me? Shit, we were fighting idiotic slavers that were lucky they knew which way to point their guns! Not gigantic bugs, not putrescent spewing mushroom-men. Even the greenest private could've taken down the whole lot in his sleep!"

"Shepard, this mission is too important. If we don't stop Saren in time who knows what will happen as a result? It may be that the fate that befell the Protheans and untold races before them will descend up on us. Billions, even trillions, may die. We cannot jeopardize this over…personal feelings."

Shepard leaned back on the wall, then nodded grimly. "All right. You're right. Mission comes first. But when this is all over…"

Liara smiled faintly, and nodded. "Try and keep me away, Commander."

Shepard grinned, then scrubbed a hand over her face. "All right. Just more motivation to get Saren trussed as fast as possible. In the mean time…put on your hard-suit. You are coming with us to disable those guns."

She turned and continued on down the stairs as Liara blinked. "Commander-"

"That's an _order_ T'Soni!" Shepard called back, before disappearing from view.

* * *

><p>The ocean.<p>

Spreading vast and azure, it glimmered with shards of reflected sunlight. Even in the cab of the MAKO, Shepard imagined she could smell the cool sea air, hear the crying of sea-birds, feel the sand beneath her feet.

She had never seen an ocean before Nancy had taken her and Paul down to the Bahamas. Part of her therapy, Nancy said. All Shepard had ever seen of the world was 'ugly'. Ugly people, ugly streets, pollution and grime and dirt ground into the landscape and into the souls of those around her. Nancy wanted her to know there was beauty, as well…things that made life worth living, fights worth fighting.

She could remember stepping off the small shuttle-transport and onto the beach. The sun had seemed so blinding that at first she could do nothing but stand, hands over her face, almost terrified of it.

Then Paul had giggled and taken her arm, tugging her toward the surf with joyful cries of discovery, and Shepard had finally dared to look…and had been swept away.

This beach was rockier but no less beautiful. Huge eroded crags of rock dripped with emerald moss and clinging trees, the vibrant colors of smoothly polished stone visible just beneath the closest of the waves. Part of her wanted to tear off her boots, to go running through the surf barefoot, arms outspread as she had done all those years ago.

_{Retreating to a safe distance,}_ Joker's voice broke her out of her thoughts, returning her to here and now.

"Ten-four. We'll let you know as soon as we have those guns down," Shepard replied, and turned the wheel, gunning the engine and guiding the rover into the maze of rocky crags and tide pools.

Liara was riding navigation, Ash up in the turret, and it came as no surprise when the asari announced there were synthetics ahead, just as they neared the small power station for the first AC gun.

"Ash, you got a sighting?" Shepard called up, maintaining her heading.

"Yeah, ten-four commander. I can see a couple of foot troopers and one of those damn big bastards."

"Hit 'em as soon as we're in range."

The boom of the MAKO's turret shattered the idyllic beachfront peace. A great flock of seabirds rose like a cloud from a nearby crag, filling the air with cries and shimmers of violet and green. The larger geth flew off its feet as the blast struck perfectly, the smaller troopers opening fire, only to quickly be cut down.

"All clear, Commander," Ashley grinned. Shepard smirked as she brought the MAKO in next to the power station.

"Good work. I should put you in charge of the _Normandy_'s guns, Chief."

"Joker might have a word or two to say about that," Williams replied.

"Since when does Joker _not_ have a word to say about _anything_? All right, weapons ready ladies. The AC gun controls are likely on the top floor of the power station. Keep your eyes peeled and let's do this by the book."

As they climbed out of the MAKO, Shepard paused a moment to take a deep breath, feeling the sea air stir her hair, the sun warm on her cheeks. Lifting her helmet, she reluctantly pulled it on and secured it down, before drawing her rifle.

Two troopers lurked in the tiny bottom level of the power station, guns aimed at the door. When the door suddenly slammed open, they opened fire, shot shredding out through the portal and into the warm afternoon air.

They paused, trying to process the empty doorway, when a hand appeared, a ball of blue fire sailing in and slamming them to the side…followed quickly by the two trained marines. A swift rattle of gunfire, and the troopers collapsed with weak mechanical whines.

"Clear," Shepard said, stepping aside as Ashley moved to the little stairwell, aiming her rifle upward. She fired a neat spate, and one of those irritating little sniper-monkies crashed against the steps, then tumbled brokenly to the floor.

"Clear," she reported.

Shepard jerked her chin, and Liara moved past both marines, up to the first landing before dropping into a crouch, covering the steps with her own rifle as Shepard then headed up.

Just as Shepard crouched and aimed carefully upward, something sailed out of the dark and bounced off the wall, dropping almost exactly at her feet.

She didn't even have time to call out 'grenade!' Reflexively she snatched the small metal orb off the ground and flung it with all her strength back upward, into the room from which it had sailed.

Barely had it vanished from sight than the whole building seemed to lift and then drop, a flash of fire belching out of the doorway, carrying with it a tumble of debris both metal and masonry. Not waiting for things to settle Shepard rushed forward and through the smoke.

One trooper was completely wasted. Another seemed stunned, half-collapsed and disoriented. Her shot ripped through what passed as its neck, and it fell. She gave it another shot to the head just to be sure, then did a quick 360 of the room.

"Clear," she barked.

Ashley moved in quickly, shipping her rifle as she went directly to the equipment bank powering the AC gun. She shed her helmet before popping off the access panel. She could simply have used the console to power down the gun but that left it open to simply be powered up again, should the geth return to this station after they'd left. She wanted to make sure it was rendered completely useless.

Reaching in, she found the main board and with a less than delicate yank, ripped it free of its bed, casting it aside. Stepping back, she unshipped her rifle, and unloaded half a dozen rounds into the guts of the machine, making sure it wouldn't be repaired any time soon.

"AC is off-line," Liara verified, looking down at her omni-tool display.

"Good work. Only one more to go," Shepard replied, then gestured. "Ash, point."

They cleared the way back to the MAKO, making sure no geth units had snuck up on them while they were in the station, then re-entered the rover. Shepard pulled her helmet off and glanced at the MAKO's time display.

"Four minutes, not bad girls. Let's see if we can get the second one down in less."

* * *

><p>"Sir, readings indicate the AC guns are now off-line, and we have an Alliance terrain vehicle and an Alliance frigate closing in on our position."<p>

Kirrahe lifted the high-power binocs to his eyes, adjusting the resolution slightly as they fixed on the distant vehicle that appeared from around one of the crags. "Looks like the Council finally decided to send that recovery fleet," he replied.

"Interesting they'd send Alliance instead of a full turian or asari compliment…"

"The Spectre investigating Saren is Alliance, Corporal," Kirrahe reminded the younger salarian as he lowered the binocs. "Logic dictates they'd send her at the head of the rescue."

Both turned their heads as the Alliance frigate appeared from over the ocean, drawing in to a landing. Gesturing at his corporal, Kirrahe said, "Go and see to the ship with Touvan and Isik. I'll deal with the rover."

As the vehicle slowly trundled to a halt a few yards away, the salarian captain approached it, shading his eyes slightly as the doors opened, discharging two human females and an asari. Easily recognizing which woman was the leader by the insignia on her armor and making a simple conclusion he nodded.

"You must be Commander Shepard. I'm Captain Kirrahe, STG. To be honest, I was wondering if the Council had received our message."

"They got static," she replied acerbically. "That's why I'm here."

"Wait…they did not understand our transmission? They didn't send a fleet?" Kirrahe demanded, his exhaustion and frustration more than evident. "Half my men have died so far, commander…no offense, I know you are a Spectre and a trained Alliance marine, however just you and your crew are _not_ going to be enough."

"We may surprise you, Captain," the human woman said with a lopsided grin. "Why don't you fill me in on specifics, and we'll see what we can do."

* * *

><p>As they followed the Salarian captain back toward what looked like a rudimentary camp, Shepard saw that several of the crew had disembarked the <em>Normandy<em>. She could see Pressley speaking with a pair of the salarians, and it looked like Tali, Kaidan and Wrex were heading their way.

"This is Saren's facility, there is no doubting that," Kirrahe informed her as they walked, gesturing at the distant looming walls. "Several of my men had been killed or simply disappeared in the process of gathering intel, but here is what we know so far. They have a device within the facility that is jamming all communications for this entire island and a good hundred kilometers out to sea. We thought we had boosted our signal enough to reach beyond its influence and notify the Council but apparently we failed in that."

"What's the purpose of the facility?" Shepard asked as they reached the camp, the three from the _Normandy_ catching up to them. Kirrahe turned to look at her.

"It is a breeding facility," he informed her. "He is creating an army of krogan."

Wrex was just close enough to overhear, and blinked. "What?" he rumbled. "He can't breed an army of krogan, the genophage makes that impossible."

"Apparently they've found a way around that," Kirrahe said dryly.

"_What?"_

Kirrahe sighed and glowered at Shepard. "Is _that_ going to be a problem, Commander?"

"_That_ is Urdnot Wrex, a krogan battlemaster and a member of my crew, and I'll thank you to speak of him with some respect," Shepard said tersely.

"Yes, well. Your crew seems rather _eclectic_," Kirrahe sniffed disapprovingly. "As far as the facility goes, there also seems to be some…_questionable research_ separate from the breeding project. We weren't able to gain much information on this side-research but as far as we can deduce it is related to some kind of mind control."

"Of _course_ it is," Liara murmured, shaking her head.

"Commander, before you arrived we were mapping out possible strategies for eradicating this threat…despite our slim number, even with the addition of your crew, that necessity hasn't changed. We must destroy this facility before Saren's krogan army has matured."

"Destroy it?" Wrex growled dangerously. Shepard held up her hand toward the krogan, never looking away from Kirrahe, but of course the angry battlemaster ignored it. "Oh, we're _not_ going to destroy it!"

"Commander, I need you to control your…pet," Kirrahe huffed. "Unleashing the krogan on the galaxy is a mistake we cannot afford to-"

"We are not a mistake!" Wrex barked, jabbing a finger in Kirrahe's face before Shepard moved between them, pushing Wrex back with a hand on his chest. With a spit of disgust, the angry krogan turned and stalked away in a cloud of fury.

"Point proven," Kirrahe noted. "You can't trust a krogan to do anything but hit-"

Turning toward him, Shepard lashed out with a perfect jab, cracking her knuckles into the captain's face and sending him, startled, to the ground.

"You _ever_ talk about another member of my crew like that again…" she warned, eyes sparking. "You figure out your little _plan_, Captain. _I'll_ take care of my people."

* * *

><p>Wrex's bellow startled another nest of those green and violet birds, sending them calling away from nearby trees. Their calls almost masked the rustle of Shepard's boots in the sand as she strode up to him.<p>

"This is wrong, all _wrong_," he growled, before looking at her. Though tiny in comparison to him, Wrex had known from the first moment he saw her that she was a predator, a fighter, just like he was. He respected her as such, which was the only reason he was even talking.

"My people were strong once," he told her. "True warriors. Heroes of the galaxy. Did you know there's a goddamn statue to the krogan on the Citadel?"

"I saw it," Shepard replied evenly. "It's not too far from that little one that looks like a mass relay. You ask me, this galaxy owes a fuck of a lot to your people."

"Damn right they do, but how did they thank us for eliminating the rachni? Their goddamn clever little genophage. Thousands of babies, dead without even a chance, our entire race hobbled and neutered like trained varren. And now that slug-spit wants to destroy something that could mean _everything_ to my people?"

"Wrex, this may not be easy to hear," Shepard replied. "It's shit what they did to your people, and Kirrahe's attitude needs some serious goddamn adjusting but…I happen to agree with him on taking out this facility?"

"_WHAT_?" he scowled down at her, a mountain of angry at least five times her mass. That she held her ground and merely looked up at him would have impressed him at any other time…but now it just made him more angry. "This is a _cure_, Shepard! The krogan may finally have a chance to regain their former glory. What right have you-"

"This isn't a _cure_, this is-"

Suddenly his rifle was in his hand, pointed at her face. Reflexively she had hers out in almost the same heartbeat, eyes narrowing as she drew a bead between his eyes. "Wrex," she warned.

"I won't let you do this. I won't let you kill my people!"

"Would you fucking listen to yourself? Fuck, Wrex! Take a deep breath and just hear me out a goddamn second!"

"Shepard…" he rumbled dangerously.

"Wrex, I swear to fuck, I don't want to do this but I _will_ air out your goddamn skull! With all we've been through you at _least_ owe me the courtesy of _listening_!"

He sneered, but she could see some of the tension in his arms loosening a little. "Fine," he snorted at last. "Talk fast."

"Wrex, I _know_ this seems like a cure, but think about it! These krogan will _not_ belong to your people, to Tuchanka. These krogan will be nothing more than Saren's trained bull-dogs, _worse_ than mercs. Do you think he's going to let them think for themselves? Do you think he's going to take the risk that they might question him or even turn on him someday? _No_. These are going to be pudding-headed meat-shields that he can control and direct without question. Is that _really_ what you want for the future of the krogan? Idiotic puppets bent to Saren's machinations?"

Wrex's eyes shifted a little, before his rifle slowly lowered. As it did she lowered her own weapon, straightening.

"Wrex, you're my friend," she said. "It's a shit thing what the salarians did to the krogan, and an even worse thing that Saren's trying to do with this…_facility_. But if there's even a _handful_ of krogan out there as determined as you, the krogan will survive and grow stronger."

"Fuck, Shepard," he sighed, then scowled and turned, lifting his rifle toward the sea and sending off a furious barrage of gunfire at the uncaring waves. "_FUUUUUCK_!"

As he lowered his gun and his head, she nodded, slapping him lightly on the arm. He smirked and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Just so you know, if I get to Saren first, I'm ripping off his goddamn head."

"I'll hold him down for you," Shepard promised.

* * *

><p>"You know, I think I could build a house here," Kaidan murmured as he sat on the outcrop of rock near the edge of the waves, looking out over the sea. The afternoon had long since died, the sun casting like blood and fire over the waves as it slowly melted toward the horizon.<p>

"It is beautiful," Liara agreed, also watching from nearby as day slowly surrendered to night.

"Your people…they have a tie to the ocean, don't they?" he asked, looking over at her.

"Yes. The asari once lived in the seas," she answered softly. "We still feel a very strong bond to the shifting tides, the feel of salt water. The sea is alive, ever-changing and yet…eternal. Commander Shepard loves the sea as well. She often chooses such a location as her place of peace during the knowledge bonds."

Kaidan smirked a little, letting out a faint chuckle. Blinking, Liara glanced over at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied. "I just find it amusing you still can't have a conversation without eventually bringing Shepard into it."

"I…did not realize I was doing so. I'm sorry if I am being boorish-"

"No, no…you're not boorish," Kaidan smiled. "On the contrary, it's good to hear. It's kind of like the sunset, you know? It reminds me that no matter how ugly things are, or how bad things seem to get…there's still beauty around us, you know? Joy. That's how you sound when you talk about Shepard…joyful. Even when you're sad, if that makes sense."

Liara was silent, only lowering her head with a faint darkening of her cheeks. After a long moment she said, "We are…we have decided, the mission comes first."

Kaidan nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, mission's important," he agreed. "But so is life, right? Keep your head in the game now but…doesn't mean that you can't think about the future, you know? Way I see it, everything is going to come around again. Life, wars, evolution…even the Reapers will, I suppose. What's never going to happen again is us. Me, and Chakwas, and Ash and Wrex and Tali…and you and Shepard. I mean, we gotta do all we can but we also have to remember…_we're_ what's important right now. Universe gets an infinity of chances but we only get one, right? We gotta make it count."

"Yes…I suppose we do," Liara murmured. After a moment she looked at him again. "And what does your future hold?" she wondered.

"Me? Oh…more of the same for a while, I guess. I'm an Alliance man, always will be. Once this is over then it's another mission, another port. But someday I'll be retired and then…well, someplace like this maybe. Quiet seas, soft sands, sunsets so colorful they'll take your breath away. Maybe I'll even come back here, who knows? Help set up a colony, maybe. I think I could be happy spending the rest of my life in a place like this. I think I could find peace here."

Liara looked toward the remains of the sunset, now just smears of golds, pinks and red slowly darkening as the stars appeared. "I think that is a very good dream, Kaidan," she said. "I pray that you are able to find that peace."

"Well, thanks," he replied, then rubbed the back of his neck. "But that's all a very long way away, isn't it?"

Turning he looked over his shoulder. The camp was a-light, and within one the tents the salarians had set up, he could see Shepard and Garrus half bent over a table, speaking with Kirrahe and some of his men as they discussed strategy. Ashley lingered at the edge of the tent, arms folded as she listened in.

"I wonder if they're getting any closer to a plan of attack," he mused.

"I do not know," Liara replied. "I am just happy that Wrex has calmed down."

"Yeah, that could have been really ugly," he agreed. "They…oh, here comes Ash. They must have decided something."

He got to his feet as Williams strode over, nodding at the pair. "They're calling everyone to the tent. Looks like we got a plan."

As the crew gathered in the pool of light cast around the tent, the full dark of night closed the last of its wrappings around the island, making everything beyond fade into almost complete black.

Shepard nodded to Kirrahe, then turned toward them. "All right, listen up. This is the plan," she stated. "Kirrahe and his men are going to rig the drive core of their ship to go thermonuclear. Tali, I want you with them to help with that. We're going to use it to blow this place sky high."

She folded her arms. "Now defenses on this place are tough. I won't lie…we're grossly outnumbered, and this isn't going to be fun for anyone. The bulk of our forces are going to join the salarians in a full frontal assault on the facility. In the mean time a small shadow team is going to slip in the back, disable the defenses from the inside and clear out any resistance. Once the defenses are down, the _Normandy_ can deliver the device to the center of the facility and then evacuate our people to a safe distance."

"Why can't we just drop the bomb from orbit?" Ashley wanted to know.

"Rigging a drive core to go nuclear is a very touchy process," Tali replied. "Once the final adjustments are made the bomb cannot be moved…even the slightest jar could cause it to go off. If we tried to rig it and then drop it from orbit it would take out the _Normandy_ if it was so much as breathed on wrong, or simply detonate from the buffeting of dropping through atmosphere."

"Tali's correct. The bomb must be placed before the last adjustments can be made, and then it cannot be moved, so we absolutely _must_ clear a landing zone to safely deliver it," Shepard agreed. "Now, there are going to be two teams hitting the front of the facility; our crew, and the salarians. Kaidan, I need you to go with the salarians to coordinate communications between the two efforts. Wrex, you will be in charge of the Alliance team. I will head up the shadow team with Ashley and Liara."

"When do we move out?" Garrus asked.

"Thirty minutes, just as soon as it's full dark and we can get into position. Everyone understand their orders?"

Her dark eyes searched the crowd, but saw only determination reflected back at her. She nodded once. "Good. Then let's do this thing people. Come back alive. That's an order."

There was a faint rumble of 'aye's and a rash of salutes. Shepard straightened and saluted them back, before turning to Kirrahe. "Get your men ready. We'll be in position in half an hour."

"Of course, Commander. And good luck to us all."

* * *

><p>Ashley huddled against the rough, broken rock as she cautiously peered around and downward. Carefully scrutinizing the area below her, every detail lit up as if it were daylight thanks to her helmet's night-vision infrared display, then crept back along the rock to where Shepard and Liara were waiting.<p>

"It's clear," she told them. "We can drop directly down without being spotted."

The commander nodded, then accessed her ear-bud. "Kaidan, we are in position," she said. "Ready to drop into the facility on your mark."

_{Ten-four},_ Kaidan replied _{Thirty seconds, we're nearly in position.}_

Gesturing to the two women beside her, Shepard led the way carefully over the ridge. They huddled like three silent gargoyles under the starlight, barely daring to breathe.

_{Five seconds, Commander},_ Kaidan nearly whispered. What seemed like a breath later, the dark of night was suddenly lit up by gunfire and the flash of small mortars in the distance, across the bulk of the sleepy buildings. Almost simultaneously Kaidan shouted _{Mark!}_

Shepard dropped down, falling eight feet before landing just inside the wall. Liara and Ashley thumped down beside her, each drawing a weapon almost instantly, and moving forward to clear the small yard. Shepard, her own infrared HUD on, had drawn her sniper and gestured along the first walkway.

As quiet as ghosts, the three women slipped along the walls. Spotting a single guard Shepard scoped and dropped him, the shot silenced to be no louder than a sneeze…lost in the sounds of war erupting in the distance. Crouching and holding the entrance to the yard, she could see a small staircase leading up the side of the first building, and a doorway. Gesturing at Liara, she indicated the door, then signaled Ash to take the stairway. Both drifted forward, Shepard covering them. Liara crouched at the doorway, peering inside, then shaking her head and making a cutting motion. No hostiles.

Ashley edged up the stairs, half-glancing over a low railing, before ducking back down. Looking at Shepard she pointed toward her eyes then gestured upward with two fingers. Shepard nodded, and moved her way.

As she reached Ash's side, the chief pointed one finger to the left at about eight o'clock, then pointed it to the right, indicating 2 o'clock. Shepard gestured to the right, and both women eased their guns up just over the stairwell, silently acquiring their targets.

_Pop!_

The silenced shots sounded simultaneously, both guards dropping without a sound.

"Shepard," Liara whispered as she reached their side, her omni-tool glowing. "Those were the last of the organic heat signatures within a thirty yard radius. Most of the guard have done as we had hoped, and gone for our distraction. I'm showing two geth signatures on this small tower here…it looks like it is a security checkpoint before you access the communications hub. It is slightly out of the way of our intended path."

"If we can knock out their communications it'll throw them into chaos," Ashley murmured. "It'll give our people a better chance, not to mention give us half a shot at getting a signal off this sorry planet if we need to."

"Roger. We're going for that hub," Shepard agreed. "Ash, point. Liara, I want you to cover this area here…let us know if anyone flanks us."

"Yes, Commander."

Liara took cover at a vantage that gave her the best view, as Shepard and Ashley headed toward the hub. The geth would be slightly harder to take out than the two organic guards had been, but any advantage they could gain for their badly outnumbered people was worth the risk.

As they caught sight of the synthetics, movement in the distance caught their attention. Between the security checkpoint and the communications hub, a trio of small hovering turrets were idly patrolling. Any gunfire on their part, even silenced, would instantly draw the attention of the turrets.

Turning away and putting her back to the wall, Shepard swiftly filed through her options, before grinning. Shipping her gun, she crouched and picked up a small piece of broken stone from beside her feet. As she straightened she drew her boot-knife and signaled to Ash to do the same, and what her plan was. The chief shipped her own weapon and drew out her knife, nodding.

Crouching carefully near the door, Shepard tossed the broken bit of stone against the far wall. At the faint tink, the two geth troopers looked around, Ash and Shepard coming out of the shadows the instant their backs were turned. Almost simultaneously both marines jammed their knife-blades into the back of the troopers' necks, right at the soft junction. Without a sound, both synthetics went limp, the two women carefully catching hold of their dead-weight, lowering them silently to the ground and leaving the turrets none the wiser.

Reaching out, the two women lightly tapped the handles of their knives together in a field hi-five, grinning.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note:

Sorry for the delay of this chapter. This weekend was a bit more...chaotic...than I had planned, and I didn't end up working yesterday as a result. However the rest of this week should proceed normally AND you'll get the added bonus of an extra chapter on Saturday to make up for the delay. So...yay!

Anyway, on to DE :D

* * *

><p>"Commander, we've got a problem…"<p>

The soft citrine glow of the computer interface glimmered off the faceplate of Ashley's helmet as she worked. Shepard and Liara were at the door to the security room, rifles up as they made sure no one was about to come and interrupt the gunnery chief. Two dead guards lay neatly arranged in the shadows nearby.

"What is it?" Shepard asked, not turning her attention away from the hall.

"I can shut off the alarm system and internal security," Ashley reported. "It'll throw their troops into even more chaos, but I have a mark 12 AA on a tower at the far end of the facility. It's retractable and in a shielded housing which explains why our scans missed it…but it's a cinch the moment the _Normandy_ comes in to deploy the bomb that gun will take her out."

"Can you shut it down?"

"I can but it can be easily reactivated from any console in the facility. They'll simply turn it back on. It needs to be taken out for good, but it's too far away for the three of us to even hope to reach it. Kirrahe and the crew are a lot closer."

"Means spreading their forces even thinner than before," Shepard grumped. "Chief, can you target where the alarms are set?"

"Yeah, I can activate alarms in any sector of the facility. What's your plan?"

"Set off the alarms in this sector, then notify Kirrahe of the AA. We'll take some heat off of the assault and he should be able to get some men up onto that tower to blow that gun. It'll bring a lot of fire down on our heads but we'll just have to risk it. That bomb _has_ to go off, no matter what."

"Aye ma'am," Ashley replied, and set to work. Shepard half glanced at Liara.

"It's going to get extremely ugly. You up for it?"

"I told you before, Shepard…I am with you until the end," Liara replied. "This is what must be done."

"You would make a good marine, Tianlán. Now listen…just keep your head together and keep pushing, no matter what happens. You do that and we'll get through this."

"I am ready, Shepard."

Ashley finished her adjustments. "Alarms activating…_now_!"

The sudden wail of a klaxon broke through the silence as red lights began to flash. Without hesitation the three women immediately began to move in toward the labs, muscles tensed with the knowledge that fury was about to descend upon them.

There is a strange sort of calm that comes over a soldier when in battle. Training takes over, setting the muscles into reflex. All concentration becomes devoted to survival, to the next move, tuning out everything else. This odd trance had many different names but the ones the marines used most often was simply 'the zone'. As the geth flooded upon them Shepard felt herself fall into the zone, as she had a dozen times before in her career…and let it carry her away.

Wave after wave of synthetics fell as the three women edged doggedly forward, their barrage of gunfire never ceasing, punctuated occasionally by blue flares of biotics that rent and twisted or flung aside some of their opposition.

Some part of the human commander took note when the synthetics were joined by unexpected faces…most notably, krogan and salarian…but the information was instantly and neatly filed away to be examined later.

Mere seconds and an entire eternity later they found themselves in what had to be the labs. The carnage did not instantly stop, but after the last krogan in the room fell, they found themselves with a brief respite.

Several strange, fluid filled tubes lined the walls. Computer systems flashed their displays, and the smell of antiseptic was almost cloying. Seeing no immediate enemy Shepard pointed at the main computer console. "Ash, wipe out their system. Li, on the door."

The chief headed toward the computer as Liara set guard over the door. Shepard went up to one of the tubes and grimaced. Within, floating in some strange fluid, was a krogan child, about the size of a six year old. Curling her hand, she wrapped her knuckles lightly against the glass, listening to the reverberation before nodding.

Stepping back, she ratcheted out her heat-sink and slammed a new one into place, before opening fire again. The hail of bullets swept over the front of each tube, erupting it in a deafening shatter of glass. Fluid rushed out, sweeping the half-developed krogans onto the ground. Shepard's attack didn't end there, however, and she directed her fire grimly toward each limp little form, insuring they were eliminated.

_Not children_, she told herself as her gun fell silent. _Not krogan, just puppets. Just cloned meat to serve Saren. You did them a favor._

"Shepard, incoming!" Liara suddenly warned, before her own weapon lit up. Shepard ran to her side and lobbed a grenade down the hallway before rejoining the battle. Ash finished with the computer seconds later, and once more all that concerned them was survival, moving forward and taking out everything in their way.

* * *

><p><em>Stay small, don't move. Just stay small, don't move…<em>

The thought repeated like a mantra through her mind as she huddled beneath the desk, arms clasped about her head, trying not to so much as _breathe_.

What seemed like hours ago now, she had been sitting here at her station, catching up on some last minute work before heading to bed when the first explosions had sounded. For a few seconds she'd simply sat, too startled and frightened to move, like a filcat caught in a rover's headlights. Then control had come back long enough for her to slide beneath her desk. Since then she'd done little more than listen and pray that the sounds of massacre outside didn't encroach on her safe little nest.

Rana wasn't exactly a brave woman. She'd always been more devoted to her studies than living on the wild side. When most of her friends left home to pursue the romantic idea of being a commando or to dreams of endless partying, reaping what the galaxy had to offer, Rana had decided instead to work. The sciences were far more intriguing than pole-dancing in some club somewhere, or hiring herself out as a merc.

Not that her plan was without its flaws. Somehow, fate had seemed to conspire against her. She only wanted to work, to make some kind of contribution and yet she'd ended up here…a job that already could be considered a nightmare and now had just taken a turn for the worse.

_Goddess, please don't let me die. If you spare me, I swear I'll donate more to the temple…I'll help orphans and work to cure diseases. I'm not ready to die yet!_

A faint gasp escaped her throat involuntarily when she heard the door slide open, and she slapped her hands over her mouth as if to somehow retract it.

_Stay still and quiet, maybe they didn't hear it. Maybe they won't come over here. They won't see you unless you move or make a noise. Just hold still!_

But her panic overrode her common sense, and the moment she heard the tread of boots heading her way she squealed and began to sob frantically.

"Please! Don't hurt me, I'm not armed, please don't shoot!" she gasped, wailing. "I'm not a threat, I'm just a scientist…please, don't shoot don't shoot!"

She let out a faint little scream as the desk suddenly slid to the side, baring her hiding spot. She tried to retreat, scooting back toward the corner, only to be grabbed by the collar and nearly lifted off her feet as she was shoved back against the wall. Her sobbing turned to embarrassing blubbering as her desperate pleas dissolved into non-language.

"She's not armed, Commander," A woman said in her ear after a brisk but thorough search. The voice sounded a bit amused.

"Calm down," another voice barked. Rana struggled to get herself under control, sucking in a trembling lip and wiping at her eyes.

"Please, don't hurt me," she asked shakily, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear her eyes.

Human. Two of the three were human, the third another asari…probably a commando. The guns they held looked as big as anti-craft cannons.

"What's your name?" the second woman demanded. It seemed she was the one in charge.

"R-Rana," she sputtered. "Rana Thanoptis. I-I'm…I-I just w-work here, please, I'm not a s-soldier…"

Still convinced they were going to put a bullet in her head and eager to do anything that would prevent that end, she grasped on to a hope. "_Information_! I can give you information, anything you need! I'll tell you anything!"

"You were working on this 'krogan breeding' project? Is all of the research here? Did any of the data make it off world?"

"Y-yes…I mean n-no…I-I…" She swallowed and took a shaky breath, trying again. "None of the direct research has left this facility, Saren was insistent it remain contained. H-however one of the early krogan tubes was taken away-"

"By who?"

"D-Dr. Osco. She was here…they were having trouble stabilizing the genetic sequences to achieve viable results. She helped them, and in return she took one of the early tubes off with her on her shuttle. I-I don't know why, it was from the first tests, it held no promise…it'll probably be nothing more than a mindless lump of organs-"

"Osco was here," the asari commando murmured softly. "So she _is_ with Saren, providing genetic research."

"What else can you tell me?" the commander demanded. "Was Saren conducting research regarding mind control?"

Her whole body trembling, Rana managed a shaky nod. "Y-yes…he was studying the indoctrination, trying to find a way to halt or control its effects-"

"Wait, he's trying to _stop_ mind control?" the other human, the one that had frisked her, blurted in disbelief.

"All I know is that he was studying the effects of the indoctrination on both people that came with him off his ship as well as some captured salarians that were caught sneaking around. Some of the things they did to them…I…I just process the data. It was horrible, I wanted to leave but…I was afraid they'd end up dissecting my brain too. The indoctrination doesn't just affect prisoners…l-look…Saren's private labs are nearby…he never let anyone in there but I have his security key, I can get you in. All his files are in there, everything he was up to."

Edging over to the moved desk she began to frantically rummage around, finally coming up with a small OSD.

"Here! It's on here. There's a secure elevator…just slide this in and it will unlock, you'll have everything you need, I swear, just…just let me go, please. I'm-I'm no threat…"

She held the OSD out, trying not to sag in relief when the human commander took it and then grimly nodded.

"All right. If I were you, I'd move my ass as fast and as far from this facility as you can," she warned. "I don't even give you an hour before we blow it to hell and gone."

_Blow it? They were going to blow up the facility? The only thing that would do that was either a full orbital bombardment…which they would have done already had they the means, or an explosive device with the yield of a thermonucle-_

"Oh, Goddess…" she gasped, and bolted.

* * *

><p>The OSD summoned the secure elevator, just like the frightened asari had claimed it would. As the car arrived and they entered, Liara shook her head.<p>

"If Thanoptis was correct," she murmured, "Then Saren's research into mind control tells more that he is trying to find a way to halt such an action, rather than perpetuate it."

"Everything we know already seems to suggest that Saren's using technology aboard the reaper ship he found to control…_indoctrinate_, as that asari said…others around him," Ashley replied. "Why would he want to stop it?"

"Perhaps our assumptions are incorrect," Liara offered. "Perhaps it is not what we think. It may be that Saren himself is, on some level, a victim of this technology as well…that he is suffering from this indoctrination and is hoping to find some way to free himself from its influences."

"Troubling idea," Shepard admitted, then shook her head. "We can guess about it all day. Hopefully there's concrete proof one way or another down in this lab…some goddamn solid answers for once."

"Yeah, wouldn't _that_ be nice?" Ashley smirked.

With a soft, almost inaudible hum, the elevator slowly halted its descent and settled into its bed. As it did so, Shepard's eyelashes fluttered softly, a sensation like a whisper or a faint exhalation of air brushing past her ear.

_What was that?_

The doors parted, baring a catwalk over a dimly lit lab. What light there was shimmered a strangely familiar green and yellow. Her brows knit as she stepped out, looking around for any sign of threat but not seeing any.

"Shepard!" Liara suddenly sucked in a startled breath, eyes widening. Following her gaze, Shepard stepped to the railing of the catwalk and looked.

It was a Prothean beacon, down in an alcove below them. As had the one on Eden Prime, this one was glowing a faint green and yellow, silently humming with power.

Wordlessly Shepard turned and made for the stairs to the lower level. Ashley shook her head and followed, Liara on her heels.

"Uh, Skipper? I know what you're thinking and I don't know if this is a good idea. It could be booby-trapped. You know, like the last one? The one that put you in a coma for a day?"

"There are gaps in the information the first beacon gave me, even with the Cipher," Shepard replied, not slowing her movements. "Saren had the same gaps…why else would this beacon be here, unless it held the missing information? We need that info to find the Conduit and understand exactly what it is he's planning."

"Ash is right," Liara protested. "We need to be cautious-"

"There's no time," Shepard shook her head. She only halted when she was standing only a couple of meters away from it, her dark brown eyes reflecting its emeralds and yellows in a slow miasma of color. "God knows I'm not exactly thrilled about having my brain raped again, but this is the only way."

Liara bit her lower lip, but said nothing as Shepard stepped closer to the glowing artifact.

As before, it was like suddenly being seized. Crossing some invisible threshold, Shepard was instantly lifted up off her feet, the muscles in her body locking as the room around her melted away, her mind swept off into images, experiences that both were and were not her own. Voices seemed to ring in her ears, voices that had not been there before. Slow, somehow soothing yet at the same time, tensely desperate, the voices carried her away and showed her the truth.

A momentary blackness finally fell. When it faded, she found herself on her hands and knees in front of the beacon, her own breath thunder in her ears. An arm wound around her and she didn't need to look to know who it was.

"I'm ok," she whispered, sitting back as her head settled itself again. With some surprise, she noticed her eyelashes were damp. Reaching up she grasped Liara's arm lightly, then nodded. "I'm all right."

Liara helped her up to her feet, Shepard gripping her shoulder before turning and looking at Ash. "Let's get into those computers, download everything we can find."

"Aye, ma'am," Ashley replied, then turned to head over to the equipment bays, only to halt in surprise, instinctively lifting her rifle before she realized the thing blocking her way was not exactly _present_.

Moving to her side, Shepard narrowed her eyes at the huge, crimson holograph that loomed in the room, seeming to impart some ominous weight, some static tension of impending doom that made the air even inside their hard-suits hard to breathe. When the voice came it was a rumbling thunder that seemed to echo through their chests as easily as through their ears.

**INSIGNIFICANT. ORGANIC. TEMPORARY.**

"Who are _you_?" Shepard demanded, scowling. She recognized the image…it was the same ship that they'd seen on Eden Prime, Sovereign. Someone was blind transmitting from the ship, using its image to cover their own. Saren, perhaps? If it was, she was sorely disappointed. Melodramatic theatrics hardly seemed his forte.

**YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND. YOU ARE IGNORANT, TEMPORARY. I AM. I WILL BE. YOU ARE BUT DUST.**

"If this is Saren, I'm not impressed," Shepard snorted.

**IGNORANCE**, the thing rumbled again. **I AM THE VANGUARD OF YOUR DESTRUCTION. I AM SOVEREIGN.**

"Shepard," Liara suddenly whispered, lightly grasping Shepard's arm in alarm. "This is not someone on a blind transmission. I…it _is_ Sovereign speaking. Why did I not see it before? Saren didn't find an abandoned reaper ship…he found an actual _reaper_."

**REAPER. A MEANINGLESS NAME THE PROTHEANS USED TO GIVE VOICE TO THEIR DESTRUCTION**.

"That can't be possible," Shepard frowned, ignoring it as she looked at Liara. "Are you sure?"

"Think about it, Shepard. In your visions, in all the images you saw of the destruction of the Protheans…all you suffered…did you actually _see_ any foot-soldiers? Any individuals beyond the Protheans and the great ships attacking the cities? Those ships are the reapers themselves! It makes sense."

**I AM. I WILL BE**.

"If you're a reaper, what do you want?" Shepard asked, folding her arms.

**MY MOTIVES ARE BEYOND YOUR PRIMITIVE UNDERSTANDING. WE ARE THE PINNACLE OF EVOLUTION. ORGANIC LIFE IS A GENETIC ACCIDENT. THE CYCLE CANNOT BE STOPPED. WE WILL BRING YOUR DESTRUCTION.**

"Cycle?"

**ORGANIC LIFE GROWS, EVOLVES, NURTURED BY THE LEGACY OF OUR KIND. THE CITADEL. THE MASS RELAYS. BY USING THEM, EVOLUTION FOLLOWS THE PATHS WE INTEND. YOU EXIST BECAUSE WE ALLOW IT. YOU WILL END, BECAUSE WE DEMAND IT.**

"I thought the Protheans developed the Citadel and the mass relays," Ashley murmured. Liara shook her head.

"There was evidence in my research that they did not," she murmured. "I never found enough proof, however it was my…my _gut feeling_. And it was my gut feeling that what had happened to the Protheans had happened before, to other intelligences we know even less about. I found traces, hints, but never anything concrete enough to support my theories. Now I know that I was correct."

"Now you listen to me, and you listen close," Shepard barked at the image, that stubborn, dangerous fire in her eyes. "It'll be a cold fucking day in hell before I let an overgrown toaster intimidate me. I _will_ stop you and Saren. I will break this _cycle_ of yours and I will _piss on your broken metal corpse_ when I'm done!"

**FOOLISH BRAVADO. YOU CANNOT HOPE TO PREVAIL. YOU ARE WEAK, INFERIOR. THIS EXCHANGE IS OVER.**

The image faded at the same time the computer consoles suddenly overloaded. Clearly set on some kind of security self-destruct, they flared with arcs of electricity a breath before they exploded in a rumble of fire and a spate of shrapnel. The eruption shook the walls hard enough the thin windows just below the ceiling shattered, sending shards of glass falling through the air.

_{Commander, we have a serious problem!} _

Joker's voice burst into her ear frantically. Touching her helmet she activated her mic.

"I love bad news," she said sarcastically. "Hit me."

_{That small AA tower is down and we got a clear field to land but the long distance scope has just pulled in about six geth drop-ships heading our way fast…and something really big roaring up in their shadow.}_

"Has to be Sovereign," Williams murmured.

"Get to the LZ and notify Kirrahe and his men to fall back to the rendezvous," Shepard barked, striding up to the catwalk and toward the door. "We're on our way."

* * *

><p>The huge courtyard they'd chosen for the landing zone was at almost the exact center of the facility, and was actually a generator intake for the enormous power plant the facility ran off of. A breakwater guided the natural ocean tides into a channel that fed directly into the intake, the constant flow of seawater both powering the turbines and acting as a general coolant system. As Shepard strode out , ankle-deep in this water, she could see the <em>Normandy<em>'s landing lights as the ship drew in close and began to lower.

The moons had risen, shimmering silver and soft rose over the shifting water as the cargo ramp slowly opened. Three marines offloaded as soon as it settled, followed by another two and Garrus. This second trio was very gingerly carrying the rigged salarian drive-core, Tali following with her omni-tool lit, monitoring the device as they reached the water and ever so carefully moved the device near the turbine intakes. As they lowered it and let go, every one of them backed away as if expecting it to blow right in their faces.

A tense breath later, and Shepard nodded, touching her helmet. "This is Shepard, the bomb is in place. I'm sending the _Normandy_ to the rendezvous for the pick-up."

_{Commander, we have a problem,}_ Kirrahe replied only a heartbeat later. _{We are still under heavy fire but can fall back to the rendezvous point. However Alenko and the squad that I sent to disable the small AA gun have been cut off and are trapped within the tower. Our scope shows a geth drop ship is landing there as we speak. They will not be able to get out without aide.}_

"How far is the tower from here?" Shepard demanded.

_{From your position, not far. You are directly west of it about a hundred meters.}_

Shepard turned and pointed at Tali, who was crouched in the water, working on the final settings for the bomb.

"How long we got?"

"Another five minutes of calibrations before this thing is set to go," the quarian replied. "After I activate it, there's about a ten minute timer before it will detonate, with an alarm at three minutes."

"It'll take at least two minutes for the _Normandy_ to make safe distance," Ashley noted.

"Tali, finish the calibrations. Ash, you stay here with Perkins and Johnson and you _guard_ her and that bomb with your goddamn life. I'm sending the _Normandy_ to the rendezvous to clear out our teams. Garrus, Liara, you're with me. We're going to go get Kaidan and the team from the tower."

* * *

><p>The situation was seriously ugly. Shepard could see the drop-ship perched atop the tower like a great fat tick seven stories overhead. No doubt it was disgorging easily dozens if not hundreds of troopers into the tower.<p>

The scene from down here was little better. A full platoon of geth and what looked like easily a dozen krogan were in the process of swarming the lower level.

"Kaidan! Report!" Shepard urged into her radio. "What is your location?"

_{We're holed up on the third floor,}_ Kaidan replied. _{We've got the stairs blockaded from below but geth are flooding in non-stop from above. The hall is a bit of a choke-point but we're down to four men…there's no way we can hold out much longer.}_

"Just hang tight, Kaidan. We're in sight of the tower now and we'll hit from the ground up. Stay alive, we're coming to get you!"

_{Commander!}_ Ashley's voice suddenly filled her ear, along with the echoing sound of gunfire. _{We have a major situation! A drop-ship just unloaded on us, I've got troopers coming in from all sides! Perkins is already down, we can't hold!}_

_{Commander, the bomb is set,} _Tali broke in, sounding breathless. _{There is only ten minutes before detonation, but if so much as a stray bullet hits this thing...}_

"_Normandy_!" Shepard barked, knowing that Joker could hear what was going on as well as she could.

_{No go Commander,}_ Joker returned instantly. _{I've got another drop-ship closing in on my position and he's got a friend with him. The rest of the crew is still boarding and holding off a squad at the same time…I can take the drop-ships but it's going to be tight going.}_

Shepard could hear her teeth creak as her jaw tensed. She knew that the three of them could take out the geth at the bottom of the tower and get Alenko and the others, but chances were Ash and Tali would be slaughtered, the bomb then either disarmed or accidentally detonated, wiping them all off the map. If they went back, they might be able to turn the tide at the LZ, but that meant sacrificing Kaidan and the salarians with him.

And time was ticking.

Slapping her helmet she barked, "Alenko, hold your position and _stay alive_. We'll be back for you, marine."

_{Aye, ma'am.}_ His reply, short and calm as it was, seemed to speak volumes to Shepard. He knew full well that they wouldn't make it back to him. There simply wasn't time.

That bomb _had_ to go off, and Shepard had to save as many lives as possible. Retreating back, she turned and set off back toward the LZ, Garrus and Liara following wordlessly.

In truth, what could possibly have been said?

* * *

><p>The LZ was a nightmare. The bomb, silently ticking down to destruction, was only partially shielded by the turbine shaft, and sensitive enough that if it was hit by a single shot, it could explode and put a serious hole in the world. Tali crouched beside it, shielding its exposed edge with her own body as she fired into the oncoming geth. Ashley, already wounded, was grit-toothed with determination, not stopping even when she caught sight of Shepard, Liara, and Garrus joining the fray.<p>

The combined gunfire drove some of the geth back a bit and dropped more than a few of their number. The drop-ship behind them seemed to glare with expressionless mocking, punctuating the futility of their actions.

With all her training, all she'd been through, Shepard knew that this was a hopeless battle. They were too strongly out-numbered. Even if they took out this wave of troopers more would only tromp out of that ship, continuing on until time ran out…until the bomb exploded.

But it _would_ explode. Saren would lose this facility, his research, his krogan army…and that at least was something. Perhaps then the Council would realize the threat. Perhaps this would be enough for them to finally pay attention.

She could only hope.

_I should have left Liara on the Normandy_, she thought quietly as she fired. _At least then she'd have a chance to get away safely. At least then she'd live._

No. She couldn't be distracted by such thoughts. Given the choice, knowing what would happen, Liara would be exactly where she was right now. Besides, there was _always_ a way out. And damn it, Shepard wasn't giving up just yet, not without a hell of a fight.

Three more geth troopers fell, the first wave almost completely down, when suddenly something hummed through the air. Shepard glanced up, only seeing a shadow at first, as dark as the night sky around them. The small disc with its faint ring of light was far more clear and alarming as it zipped toward her feet.

Turning, she lunged to the side, flinging herself out of the way as the disc exploded, sending a belch of water into the air. Rolling back to her feet she fired at the shape, glaring murderously as she realized it was Saren himself.

He was on a hoverpad, an anti-grav platform she had once trained on, but had been dismissed by the Alliance as impractical. While giving a good vantage, they tended to overheat and respond sluggishly after only a few minutes…and weren't exactly the most stable of vehicles. Too easy to overbalance, too easy to crash.

She ducked behind cover, Garrus panting beside her, then carefully peered around. Saren had landed the pad and was standing in the middle of the courtyard. He had a pistol in his hand but he was not pointing it at her. Instead he had it aimed at a figure laying dazed on the ground. Narrowing her eyes, Shepard felt a sudden rush of cold filter through her as she realized it was Liara.

The asari was injured, that much was clear. How badly Shepard couldn't tell, but clearly it was enough she could not use her biotics. She was moving but slowly. She seemed disoriented.

"Her shields are down, Shepard," Saren called, and gave Liara a little kick to prove his point. The asari barked faintly at the blow to her stomach, coughed. Shepard all but surged out of hiding, her own pistol pointed straight at Saren's head.

"_Let her go_," she snarled.

"Her life for yours," he replied. "Come with me, Shepard. Join us and I'll let her live."

"Why?" Shepard demanded. Reaching up with her free hand she unfastened her helmet and cast it aside. The night air stirred her sweat-damp hair over her face. "Why do you want me?"

"Don't you understand yet?" he replied. "Don't you see what I'm doing? You saw the visions, just as I have. You of all people know what's going on!"

"Pretend I don't. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Don't play the fool!. You are strong, and smart…a true soldier. A true Spectre. Think this through logically. The reapers are coming. Hundreds of thousands of them. They cannot be stopped. Organics have tried, over and over, and each time they have failed, and met their utter destruction. They are like no force you have ever seen. The only way any of us have a chance to survive is if we make ourselves _useful_. If we aid them, instead of opposing them, we can save more lives than have ever existed!"

"Liara was right. You're not researching mind control so that you can better exert your influence. You're researching it to try and save _yourself_…this Sovereign has 'indoctrinated' you."

"No! I am still protected from the indoctrination…for now. I have learned that the more control exerted the less capable the subject. Sovereign needs me, my mind…free for now."

"You're a fool if you actually believe that."

"Shepard, _you_ are the fool if you do not listen!" he snarled. "The reapers are going to destroy everything. _Everyone_. No matter what you do, or what the Council does, or what the Alliance does, the reapers _will _wipe us out! We _cannot _stand against them, they are far too powerful. You have no idea the scope of their strength! Our only hope against extinction is to aide them, to make ourselves indispensable."

"Indispensable _slaves_ you mean," Shepard retorted. Her eyes didn't shift, but she could see Liara was recovering somewhat. Though Saren still held the pistol on her he was paying no attention to the fallen asari. Her hand wreathed quietly in blue, and behind him, a large chunk of rock debris slowly began to lift.

"Slavery is better than death! What use is freedom when it only brings extinction?"

"I'd rather be _dead_ than a slave," Shepard glared. "So you had better kill me, Saren. You'd better shoot me right now, because if you don't, I will never give up fighting until I have put you and your goddamn little pet reapers into the ground!"

"You-" he scowled, then crashed forward as Liara slammed the rock into his back.

The instant he stumbled Shepard charged forward, firing her pistol. Garrus was immediately behind her and rushed over to Liara, hauling her up and pulling her away.

The fired shots merely deflected off of Saren's shields as the turian reoriented himself. Never stopping her forward charge, Shepard lifted a fist and brought it through in a crushing roundhouse, slamming it with all her strength into his face and sending him reeling. Bleeding from a broken tooth, the turian proved himself every inch the warrior and the Spectre as he recovered with almost lightning speed, sending his foot crashing into her stomach. Even with her hard suit, the blow was enough to knock her back, and the instant she hit the ground he was on her.

A hand closed crushingly tight on her throat, cutting off her air as she was hauled clear off her feet. Gripping his wrist she fought to get him to loosen his hold, to get air. Meeting his eyes she bore her teeth, and he grimaced, sapphire blood trickling along the side of one mandible.

Then a grating, high-pitched wail filled the air. Startled, Saren glanced away to see where it came from, only to meet Shepard's fist again as he turned back. Jarred by the blow he dropped her, stepping back before barking into his own radio. "Clear out! _Now_!"

Gasping for air, eyes flooded with tears, Shepard struggled to get to her feet as the turian strode away back to his platform. She knew what the wail was…the final warning alarm of the nuke.

Coughing, heading toward Ash and Tali, she croaked a rough, "_Normandy_!"

_{Drop ships are bugging out, heading to the LZ,}_ Joker replied breathlessly.

Glancing over, Shepard glared as Saren disappeared into his own drop-ship, the ugly, insectile vehicle lifting swiftly into the air. Wiping the back of her hand over her eyes to clear her vision she got to Ashley's side, looking at Tali.

"You ok?"

"I'm fine," the quarian panted, though she sounded terribly shaken.

Crouching, Shepard assessed Ash with a single glance. The woman was in shock, clearly hurting, exhausted. Her hand was plastered over her side, blood seeping from a hole in her hard-suit. Knowing the woman wouldn't be able to walk at any speed Shepard helped her up, then immediately hefted her in a fireman's carry.

As the _Normandy_ lowered to the ground, ramp already opening, she looked over and saw Garrus was also carrying Liara.

"Move!" she barked over the incessant wailing of the bomb. If they didn't get aboard _now_, the _Normandy_ would not make safe distance before the nuke detonated.

Rushing up the ramp, she dropped Ashley into the arms of a couple of waiting marines, hitting her radio in almost the same movement.

"Kaidan! Kaidan, do you hear me?"

Silence, broken only by thin static, was her only response. As she felt the _Normandy_ lift, the cargo door closing she ran deeper into the ship, shouting once again.

"Kaidan! Please respond!"

_{Ok everybody, hang on!}_ Joker barked, just as he jammed the _Normandy_'s thrusters full on, the ship lurching forward swiftly to its top speed.

"_Kaidan!"_

Silence. Shepard reached a porthole just as they hit middle atmosphere, the ground retreating away from them with a shocking speed. She could see the tiny island in a vast sea of serene blue. The line that separated night from day was only a few miles away, what was sure to be a stunning sunrise slowly creeping closer.

"Kaidan…" Shepard murmured, the last seconds ticking away in her head. "I'm sorry…"

The ground below suddenly lit up in a flash as bright as noonday. A few seconds later the first shockwaves shook the _Normandy_…but they had made safe distance, far enough away that they were in no danger of being torn apart.

Shepard closed her eyes, for the first time aware of her thundering heart-beat as she whispered once again.

"I'm sorry…"


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note:

Whilst trolling about online...you know, like ya do :D...I found a beautiful graphic done by an artist that so perfectly captured my image of Del Shepard I honestly could not have done it better myself (and I'm a pretty decent artist).

Now, I don't know this artist. I don't own this picture and I take no credit for it whatsoever, but if you want to take a peek at how I imagine the star of Dark Energy when I write her, click on the link at the bottom of my profile. That absolutely IS Del Shepard...sadly minus the swagman and the cigar, but still...otherwise perfect :)

Now on with the show!

* * *

><p>The infirmary was in controlled chaos when Shepard strode in, dropping the chest-plate of her hard-suit carelessly outside the door.<p>

Garrus was just within, staying out of the way. He had his arm around Tali, whose lowered head and slumped body posture spoke of grief, even if her face couldn't be seen.

Chakwas and two of her assistants were over at a far bio-bed where Ash lay unconscious. Liara was seated upon a closer bed. Stripped of her hard-suit, her right trouser leg was torn and burned in patches, showing faint gleams of sapphire blood, and she was holding her head in her hands.

Wordlessly, Shepard went over to the asari, gently touching her shoulder. Liara sniffled, lifting tear-damped eyes briefly.

"I…I cannot believe he is…" she murmured.

Shepard nodded quietly, then asked in concern, "How badly are you hurt?"

"It…it is not bad. I was a bit too close to that grenade," she replied. "Ash is much worse than I."

Hand still resting on Liara's shoulder, Shepard turned toward where Chakwas and the two assistants were working.

"Give her two more units and monitor her pressure," Chakwas ordered as she stepped back a little, wiping her hands and heading over to Shepard.

"She's stable, Commander," she reported. "And lucky…that shot buried in muscle. Missed every major organ. Lost a good deal of blood but I'd say she'll be back up to duty-snuff in forty-eight hours."

Shepard's exhale of relief was faint but noticeable as Chakwas regarded the asari clinically, plucking up a light from a nearby tray table and testing her pupils. "Your dilation response is better," she said softly. "No concussion this time, I think. But I'll be plucking shrapnel out of your leg for a good half-hour, and I'll doubt you'll want to be awake for it."

As Chakwas prepared the sedative, Shepard leaned over, murmuring in Liara's ear with her cheek against the asari's. "I'll be back after you've woken up," she promised. "You just…just try and concentrate on getting better."

Liara didn't respond save to reach up and lightly hook her hand around Shepard's neck, closing her eyes a moment with a nod.

"I'll be here," Shepard whispered one final time, before she straightened and stepped back, allowing Chakwas to inject the sedative and start tending to Liara's wounds.

Striding past Garrus and Tali, Shepard snatched up her chest-plate again and flung it in the direction of her locker before heading for the stairs. As she entered the CIC and aimed for the helm, Pressley fell into step beside her.

"Damage from the fight with the drop-ships is minimal," he reported. "Some minor structural damage to the aft shield plates, and the forward coolant tanks were dented…shouldn't take more than twenty-four hours in dock to take care of it, but it needs repair before we even think of taking on any more fire."

"Tell me we at least took out the bastards," she growled, not slowing her stride.

"We took out one," he nodded solemnly. "The other booked out of there when the nuke warning went off. Five more minutes and things would have been really ugly, nuke or no nuke. That Sovereign ship was closing in like a demon from hell…it would have shredded the _Normandy_ like a tin can."

As they approached the helm Joker turned his seat. For once his usual shit-eating grin was absent, his face nothing but solemn as he nodded. "Commander, we are clear…no sign of geth ships for a thousand kilometers."

"Notify the Alliance and the Council about what happened," Shepard told him. "I'm not expecting a call back from the Council until they're done with their goddamn mani-pedis or whatever the fuck they do with their time, so let me know the moment they're on the horn. And point us back to the Citadel for now, but expect our course might change."

"Aye, ma'am," he said, then as Shepard started to turn away he cleared his throat. "Ma'am? I'm…I'm sorry I…"

She paused and looked back at him silently, watching as he collected himself a moment, then met her eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to the lieutenant in time. If it weren't for those damn drop-ships-"

"Stop kicking yourself, Joker," she said, without bite. "I wasn't able to get to him in time either. You kept my ship together, and got the rest of us out of there. You did good, Joker."

"Yeah…doesn't feel like it."

"I know," she said. "Back to work. I'll be in the CIC if you need me."

* * *

><p>Six hours later, Shepard leaned on the rail over the galaxy map, her brown eyes reddened and exhausted as she shifted the galactic display, selecting systems and enlarging them, only to shrink them back down and cast them away with an irritated snap of her hand.<p>

When a shadow fell over her, she didn't even bother to look up.

"Shepard? What are you doing?" Wrex rumbled, squinting at the map.

"The beacon at the breeding facility had the final pieces of data that were missing from my visions," she mumbled. "At the end, it showed me a location. No name, no coords, just an image of a planet. We know the Mu Relay connects to whatever system the Conduit is located in…but it also connects to a hundred _other_ goddamn systems as well, and we don't know which is the right one. I'm going through them one at a time to see if I can spot the world I saw."

"Sounds tedious," he snorted. "Guess the Protheans thought planting flashing neon signs that say 'Conduit here!' would be a bit too gaudy."

Shepard snorted faintly. "The beacons were intended for people who would recognize the planet without question, one familiar…even iconic…to the Prothean empire. It's just our luck that we're fifty thousand years removed from knowing what the fuck they're talking about."

She selected another system, scrutinized the first world, then cast it aside and peered at the next. "Did you want something, Wrex?" she asked after a moment. The krogan hmmed low in his chest, a sound almost like a growl, and straightened.

"Yeah. I wanted to thank you. You were right, Shepard…about those krogan. I saw a few in the fight at the facility. Pudding-headed meat-shields, just as you said. No fire in their eyes, no spirit. Probably had cold chemicals in their sluggish veins rather than real, hot krogan blood. They were shadows, mindless puppets…nothing but an insult."

Straightening, Shepard tore her eyes away from the galaxy map and looked at him. "I am sorry too, Wrex. I'm sorry they weren't what you wanted them to be. I like your people. Well…the ones that aren't shooting at me, anyway. I think what the salarians did was wrong and I hope that one day you will overcome the genophage. I think with leaders like you, the krogan have a shot of that. All of that doesn't mean shit, though, unless you stop wasting yourself as a merc and actually become the leader that you're meant to be. "

His huff sounded amused, and he shook his head. "You know, you're not half bad for a human," he told her. "I don't know…maybe when all this with Saren is over, I'll go back to Tuchanka, give it another shot."

"God help the rest of us," Shepard smirked thinly, and Wrex laughed.

_{Commander,}_ Chakwas' voice broke through on the comm, and Shepard turned around.

"Go ahead."

_{Liara's coming out of the sedative. She's asking for you.}_

"Understood. I'll be right down."

* * *

><p>As Shepard entered the now much-quieter infirmary, before Chakwas even had a chance to speak, a sluggish sounding Liara piped up instead.<p>

"I knew it. You have not been to rest yet."

"I wasn't the one that got the shit kicked out of me this time," Shepard replied, walking over and looking down at her.

"You are still exhausted," Liara retorted. "I can see it in your eyes."

"She is right, Commander. You've been up for nearly thirty hours now. You really should rest," Chakwas said softly from nearby. Shepard straightened and glanced past her toward where Ash was still sleeping.

"How's she doing?"

"Williams is just fine," Chakwas reassured. "I'm keeping her out for a few more hours. As for _this_ one, she should probably go and sleep a bit longer too, but for all intents and purposes she's all patched up. Liara, your leg may be a little tender for a few days but you should be able to walk and even run just fine."

Liara bobbed her head, then sat up with Shepard's help. Despite commenting on how exhausted Shepard looked, her own eyes were half-lidded with lingering sedation coupled with her own weariness.

Sitting for a moment, she waited for her head to steady before she gingerly tried getting to her feet. "Easy now," Shepard admonished, renewing her grip to help steady her.

"I am…I am all right," Liara reassured. Her leg did indeed feel a little tender, but it was distant, unimportant.

Concentrating on walking, head foggy still, Liara didn't at first notice where she was going. When she finally looked up from her feet, she blinked.

"Where-?"

"You are not recuperating on that tiny, uncomfortable cot in the lab," Shepard replied sternly as her own door slid open. "This is not up for discussion."

Shepard lowered Liara into a sit on the bed before drawing the blankets back. "I will sleep on the cot, or in one of the pods," she said as she rearranged pillows. "Now, lay down."

Too exhausted, her head filled with too much cotton, Liara couldn't argue. As she lay back Shepard helped her lift her legs up and slid them under the blanket before gently covering her. The covers lowering brought with them the darkness of sleep, and she was out before they had even fully settled.

* * *

><p>The hiss of a valve release punctuated the slow rushing drain of nutrient fluid, the sinking level distorting the reflection of Osco's face in the glass. Within, the young krogan slowly sank down to his knees as the buoying support of the liquid was lost.<p>

Hoses and connections strained, and then drew out of his flesh, leaving small wounds in their wake. Osco's fingers shifted and the glass front of the tube slowly lifted open. The last dregs of the nutrient mix splashed around her feet as the newly born krogan stumbled to the ground.

He wretched, heaving and then gasping, taking his first breaths as his lungs cleared themselves. Naked, his black-plated hump glistened like obsidian. Osco pulled a towel off a nearby table and crouched in front of him, unhesitant in grasping his face and scrubbing the towel over it.

He blinked, grass green eyes shifting and focusing, then coughed again. She wiped his lips almost lovingly as his gaze finally settled on her.

"You…" he rumbled. "You are…Mother…"

"Yes," she answered with a charitable smile. "Can you get to your feet?"

Muscles coiled like steel as he gingerly planted his hands, and then rose to his feet. He wobbled a moment, finding his balance, and then steadied. The same size as any mature krogan male, he towered over the small human woman.

"How do you feel?" she asked. He looked at his hands, then back to her.

"Ex…_exhilarated_," he replied. "There is…is fire in my chest. Energy fills my lungs. I feel…this…this is _life_…"

"Good, looks like the imprints worked." She tossed the towel aside and folded her arms as she walked around the newly-born warrior.

"Hmmf. You call this perfect?" A deep rumble came from behind her. An older male krogan, much scarred, glowered as he regarded the human scientist and her newly born creation. "I came all the way to Thessia for _this_?"

"What are you talking about, Okeer?" Gellian snapped in irritation.

"This!" he barked, gesturing at the young tank-born as he strode forward. "This…_copy_!"

"He is not a _copy_, he is genetically engineered from sixteen different sources of krogan DNA…you could not get more krogan than he is."

"Pah! I saw your listing of samples. That simpering fool Droyas and a dozen nameless from weak clans. You take mud and pass it off as gold!"

"Well, if my research means nothing to you then, Okeer, you may leave," she said coldly. "Good luck with your genetic samplings from Shiagur and the other great clan leaders of your people…if you don't have the means to purify, extrapolate, and grow them."

He scowled, rolling his shoulders. "I could figure it out."

"Could you?" she laughed. "Go on then, go figure it out. Spend another fifty years on your little project…waste the small samplings you have as you try to accomplish what I have sitting here in front of your nose, already perfected. The growth tanks, the genetic encoders, the imprint specs and the nutrient formula…trust me. It _will_ take you an eternity to get them just right, and if they are even _slightly_ wrong…well. Have fun with your crazy little moronic _copies_."

He rumbled dangerously, his face inches from hers for a breath, before a hand suddenly shoved him back a step.

"You do not threaten Mother," the newly born krogan boy warned, facing down the tattered old warlord without blinking.

Okeer straightened a little, then smirked. "Ha! Well, at least he has some _spirit_," he said. "That is more than I was expecting. From what I hear, the krogan at Saren's facility have all the fire and spirit of a moldering bowl of porridge."

"Droyas's clones are stupid and weak. I know…I made them that way by request," Gellian stated. "Thug is different. My own little side-project…he lacks neither brains nor krogan fire."

"Thug, is it?" Okeer grumped, then regarded Gellian. "Very well, Osco. You are right…this foundation will give my own research a significant boost. I have no doubt I can improve on your _design_ easily with my superior materials."

He scrutinized Thug closely a moment, the younger male narrowing his eyes and curling his lip a little, then grinned.

"All right, Osco," Okeer announced. "Sixteen."

"Sixteen? That's a third less than you promised," she retorted hotly, "and _half _of what this research is worth!"

"I know desperation when I smell it, human," the warlord retorted, "and you reek of it. Sixteen, or I walk away…good luck finding a buyer then."

Gellian grimaced, pursing her lips a bit, before sighing in frustration.

"Fine, deal."

She turned to her console, a few keystrokes later extracting an OSD. She held it in her hand, watching as Okeer transferred the promised credits into her accounts. Only when she confirmed they had arrived did she hand him the OSD.

"That has all the research and equipment specs…everything you need. Just plug in your own samples and follow my formulae exactly."

"Don't worry, Doctor Osco…my purified krogan will soon elevate my people to their deserved greatness again. You will hear the name of Okeer sung throughout countless systems…though of course you'll forgive me if _your_ name never comes up."

Osco glared at him balefully, then jerked her chin toward the door. "You know your way out," she sniffed.

The warlord smirked, and turned to stride away. As he did, he pointed toward a second tube nearer the door. "Why are you bothering making one of _those_," he barked a laugh. "They're _everywhere_. I'm sure there's even one out there that would be willing to fuck _you_ and make another one the old fashioned way."

"Get _out_!" Osco snapped furiously. Okeer just laughed again, exiting the lab.

Almost the moment he was gone, Gellian's irritated scowl vanished, replaced by a smug grin. "Thug, for being a genius that man is an idiot."

"Mother?" the young krogan asked, blinking his green eyes. She turned and faced him.

"He honestly expected to pay one third less and get the same results? I had a feeling he'd try and pull something like that. Fortunately I altered a few little formulae on that particular OSD. He's going to have a hell of a headache when he realizes his precious new-order krogan are all popping out of their tubes as loony as space cadets. He _might_ manage to correct it but it's going to cost him a few years, and even then there's really not a chance in hell his imprints will take properly."

"I didn't like him anyway," Thug rumbled. Curious, the newly-born krogan padded over to the second tube that Okeer had indicated, and peered within.

An asari infant floated serenely in her bath of nutritional fluid, no larger than a one year old. She was half-curled into a fetal position, but every few moments a little hand would wave or a foot would kick, and a tiny, sleepy smile would appear on her lips, as if she were enjoying her liquid environment. As he looked at the child, puzzled, Gellian stepped up beside him and put her hand on his arm.

"Thug, all my hopes and dreams lay right there. That little girl is going to be the greatest sentient being ever to set foot on any planet in this galaxy. She will be a goddess, a valkyrie…a force of power and destruction the likes of which fools like Okeer could never imagine. And you, Thug…my precious little boy…you must guard her with your life, always."

He nodded solemnly and watched the tiny, sleeping asari child. "Ok, Mother," he murmured, touching the glass. "Ok."

* * *

><p>Liara woke slowly, feeling warm and languid…and slightly puzzled. The surface she was laying on was much softer and felt much larger than the cot in the lab where she had become used to sleeping.<p>

Wiping a hand lightly over her face she managed to open her eyes, peering blearily around a moment before memory returned. She was in Shepard's room, the commander having insisted she sleep in the bed before retreating to bunk down elsewhere.

Shifting her wounded leg a little, she moved onto her side and hugged one of the pillows close, breathing deep. It smelled like Shepard, a faint hint of soap with stronger overtones of the cigars she smoked.

Laying there still a while, she held the pillow and felt tears heat her eyes once more. Kaidan. She still couldn't believe the man was gone, that he hadn't made it out. It happened, she knew…and it was no one's fault save Saren and the geth but…Liara was not used to having friends, and even less used to losing them. Kaidan had been so patient with her, listening to her socially-inept ramblings and being supportive about her confused feelings regarding the commander. He hadn't deserved such an end. It seemed so horribly unfair.

_Goddess, guide his fallen spirit to Your side_, she silently prayed. _May he find peace in the shifting tide of Your calm seas…_

He had spoken of finding peace, there at the shore as they watched the sunset, waiting for Shepard and the salarians. He'd talked about how he thought he could rest in such a place. His words now seemed almost prophetic if a bit more tragic than he had originally intended.

_He is part of Virmire now…part of that sunset, of the sands and the birds…as he is and always will be a part of me, a part of all those who cared about him, whose lives he saved._

Wiping her face, she sat up a little, blushing as she noticed the damp spot on Shepard's pillow, left from her tears. Brushing at it self-consciously she set it face down on the bed, then cast the blankets aside. The displaced air caused something on the bedside to flutter a little. Curious, she reached out and gingerly picked it up.

She realized what it was a moment later. She had seen the child's crayon drawing before…both in Shepard's visions and seated on this same bedside stand on her previous visits. It had been drawn by Paul, a representation of Shepard and the little boy together. Shepard kept it so she would never forget…both his sweet, guileless spirit and the unjust manner in which he died.

As she shifted to return it to its place, she caught sight of something, and drew it back. Turning it over, she realized the drawing was not the only thing on the piece of paper.

Names had been carefully written on the reverse, and though the script was small the paper was half-filled with them. The first name was Paul's own. Then others she did not recognize, prefaced by military titles: Corporal Indiku, Private Hoffsteader, Private Biers, and a dozen others.

And then names she _did_ know. Corporal Richard L. Jenkins was fourth from the bottom. After it, came the names of the two marines who had fallen defending Tali and the nuke. And finally, printed carefully, was the last name.

_Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko._

As she touched the name lightly, feeling her eyes blur again, she realized what this was. Shepard had written every name of every person who had died under her command, everyone she wanted…no, _needed_…to remember. Everyone she felt she had failed, by not being strong enough, not being fast enough, by making the wrong decision.

_She must have added these last night, before coming back to the infirmary. Oh, Shepard…_

Pressing her hand to her lips a moment, she sniffled, then carefully returned the drawing to its place. Leaning forward, she covered her face and cried…cried for a friend she would never see again, cried for all those men and women who had also had friends, families…and cried for Shepard and the burden she felt she had to bear.

* * *

><p>In the shimmering, holographic aura of the Council, Shepard stood like the guardian to the gates of hell, arms folded and eyes flashing a fire-wrought ebony.<p>

Kirrahe, who had survived the onslaught at Virmire with only half a dozen of his men left, stood just behind her, large eyes watching in silence, his face set and grim.

"Do you believe your own STG captain?" Shepard wanted to know, her voice like ice. "Or do you think I'm still blowing smoke up your asses?"

"Kirrahe, did you witness this…holographic projection of the reaper?" Tevos asked calmly.

"No, I did not see it," he admitted. "However I have no reason to doubt Shepard's word. Our intel gathered before the commander even arrived indicated not only the genetic program intended to breed an army of krogan, but also fevered research into the effects of mind control…indoctrination."

"This 'indoctrination' is disturbing," the turian admitted. "But the so-called reaper threat remains only hearsay."

"_Hearsay_?" Shepard snapped.

"Shepard, you have _no concrete proof_," Tevos said impatiently. "We agree that Saren is a threat, that he is manipulating the geth to his own ends, and given the new intel provided by Captain Kirrahe and your reports on Virmire, we have alarming evidence of his pursuit of indoctrination and his attempts at creating an army. However regarding the reapers _themselves_, mythical million-year old sentient ships bent on the destruction of organic civilization throughout the galaxy, the only proof we have is your _word_, and unfortunately we cannot take the word of a single person…no matter _who it is_…as gospel ."

"And to be honest, we are tired of arguing the point with you," the turian sneered. "If you want to believe these frivolous, fanciful notions of yours you go right ahead, though it certainly calls your sanity into question. As for Saren and the threat of his geth…if he attempts to attack the Citadel, as you believe, we will be ready. We have ships patrolling every relay that connects to Citadel space. If he comes through at any point, he will meet the full might of our fleets."

"A _blockade_? That's all you're doing?" Shepard was flabbergasted. "We still don't even know what the Conduit _is_! It could be a weapon that will blast through your ships like they were made of paper."

"We trust that concern to you," Tevos replied lightly. "Have you been able to locate that world you were shown?"

"Not yet, but it's only a matter of time. I've eliminated half the systems connected to the Mu Relay already."

"Notify us the moment you have identified the planet," Tevos ordered, before the three of them vanished without further word.

Turning, Shepard strode past Kirrahe and out of the comm room, wishing for once that she could actually slam the doors on the _Normandy_.

* * *

><p>She had fallen into kind of a daze, eyes fixed on the galaxy map as she zoomed in on systems, scrutinized them, then cast them aside. Despite what she'd told Liara, she had not actually gone to sleep, and it showed. Lines of irritation had settled in between her eyes, at the tense corners of her lips, as she continued on with her search, doing her best <em>not<em> to think about Kaidan Alenko.

The Alliance had acknowledged their message. Word was, right at this moment, going to his family and the families of the other two marines, Perkins and Johnson. Mothers were going to get knocks on their doors, open them to see that sight all military families dreaded…uniformed strangers standing solemnly on their doorstep, about to tell them their world had ended.

"Shepard?"

She broke out of her thoughts, straightening and looking around at Liara as the asari almost timidly approached. The sad, quiet expression on her face only drove the knife a little deeper into Shepard's chest.

"Hey, you," she murmured. "How are you feeling?"

"I am…tired, but I am all right," Liara replied. "I was wondering if I could talk to you privately a moment."

"Of course," Shepard answered. She gestured at the door of the comm room before following the doctor inside.

Liara stopped only a few steps within the silent room, listening as Shepard stepped in after her, the door sliding shut.

"Tianlán?" Shepard questioned softly.

Liara turned wordlessly and hugged the human woman tightly, feeling her throat clench as tears rushed out in an unexpected wave. Shepard returned the hug tightly, lowering her head and closing her eyes, just letting the asari cry.

Liara didn't loosen her grip, not until the sobs had softened to sniffles, until she felt somewhat in control again. Forehead against Shepard's shoulder, that same smell from the pillow filling her nose, Liara murmured, "I do not know what to do…"

"You don't have to do anything," Shepard replied gently. "Kaidan wouldn't want all this, Liara."

The asari drew back a little, looking at the human woman. Though the others might have been, she was unsurprised to see Shepard's lashes were damp as well. Stepping back, she wiped her eyes and cheeks, sniffled faintly.

"I just…cannot stop thinking," she murmured. "Wondering if there was something we could have done differently, some way we could have helped him."

"Yeah, I know…" the commander replied. "I'm doing it too. The whole crew is. He was a good man, Li. A good soldier. He was a friend, and his death saved a lot of lives. If there was some way I could have gotten to him-"

"You made the right call," Liara insisted, shaking her head. "I was there, Shepard. If we had not returned, Ashley and Tali would have been killed as well. That bomb would have detonated and taken us all with it- you, me, the salarians, the _Normandy_. It may have taken Saren as well but the threat of the reapers would have continued, and the Council would have remained blissfully ignoring it until it was too late. I know that what you did had to be done. I just…I just miss him, Shepard."

"I do too," Shepard admitted with a weary sigh.

"You have not slept yet, have you?" Liara noted.

"Oh, I will, I've just…been searching the map for this world that the beacon showed me," Shepard replied. Liara's brows lifted.

"Yes, that is right…I had completely forgotten that second beacon! Did it have what was needed? Were you able to interpret the Prothean's message?"

"Yeah, mostly," Shepard replied. "Some of it is still settling but…it showed me the world the beacon is on…just an image of it, unfortunately. Couldn't get lucky enough for them to have put a goddamn label on it or actually mention its name."

"Perhaps I can help," Liara said. "I spent my life studying any world that even has a remote link to the Protheans. If this Conduit truly is Prothean, it might be that I will recognize the planet."

Shepard's brows knit. "Are you sure? You haven't gotten all your strength back…"

"Physically I am healed and rested enough," Liara answered. "It would not matter even if I were not. We must find the Conduit as quickly as possible. The possibility of my fainting is hardly a concern in comparison."

"I just don't want you hurt again," Shepard told her. Liara smiled faintly, reaching forward and taking her hands.

"I know," she said softly. Gently squeezing Shepard's hands she closed her eyes a moment, and then straightened a bit.

"Find peace, Shepard. Find that place inside you, where you connect to all around you. We are all one. Your spirit is my spirit. You are part of the ship, part of the stars, part of worlds beyond number. Find your peace. Are you there, Shepard?"

"Yes," Shepard murmured, her eyes unfocused, seeing waves and azure skies rather than the dimly lit comm room. Liara opened her own eyes again, the blue swallowed into deepest ebony black.

"_Embrace eternity_."

* * *

><p><em>He didn't understand what they wanted. They hit him so hard, Del…<em>

The sky was crystalline blue, but the sun seemed made of ice. The grass, still green under its early winter sheen of frost, crunched lightly under her boots as she strode, the melted ghosts of footprints following in her wake. Thin streams of heated breath escaped her lips, merry billows of white that flitted, and then were gone.

The dark brown of piled earth seemed particularly rich and vibrant, a strange contrast to the woman standing beside it who only looked vague, washed away, drained of color. Shepard lowered her eyes a little as she approached and stopped by the woman regarding the grave of her only son. Wordlessly, her reddened bare fingers stole out and entwined themselves in the grasp of the mourning mother.

"Oh…_Del_," Nancy blinked and sniffled in startlement, watery gaze taking in the sight of the eighteen year old girl standing beside her. Always so stout, so confident, Nancy seemed smaller and older somehow…and some cruel, unseen hand had carved lines into her face.

The embrace was not unexpected, nor rejected. Shepard felt tears heat her eyes in a quick flood as she clung to the woman who had once threatened to shock her unconscious if she didn't settle down. Nancy gripped hold of her as if desperate…but only for a moment, before she held the younger woman at arms' length and scrutinized her.

"Look at you," she smiled wanly. "You look like a soldier. So crisp in that uniform…it suits you- where are your gloves? You're going to catch your d…a _cold_ without your gloves!"

Shepard shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Nancy. I'm so sorry I wasn't here-"

"Oh, sweetheart, shh…" Nancy soothed, hugging her tightly again. "It wasn't your fault. Oh, he was so proud of you, Del! You were always his hero."

"They were looking for _me_. It's _my_ fault it happened," she growled into Nancy's well-padded shoulder.

"No. No, none of that," Nancy retorted, her look stern as she fixed Shepard's gaze. "Girl, that is not a burden that is yours to bear! Don't do that to yourself. You didn't send those boys, didn't lift their fists. You're not a goddess, sweetheart. Oh, Del…you have fought so hard and come so far…please, don't let this undo all that work. Don't let this tear you down. Paul is still with us. You know I believe it. I-I don't know if there's a god or gods or some unknown power looking out for us but I feel it in my heart that there is _something_, and that Paul is still out there somewhere, in some form, and he's looking out for us. He loved you so much, _believed_ in you so strongly. _I_ believe in you too, honey. I always have. And I _always_ will."

* * *

><p>Shepard opened her eyes, a pair of tears rolling down her cheeks as the blurry comm room slowly took shape. The Prothean vision had unrolled smoothly and far less traumatically than it ever had before, but then that memory had surged up, tugged along in its wake.<p>

Feeling a sudden shift of weight she quickly firmed her grip on Liara, holding her on her feet. "Hey! Hey, you ok?"

"Just…a little dizzy," the asari whispered, steadying herself. "No, I…I am all right. I am fine, Shepard."

Satisfied the asari was stable enough on her feet, Shepard self-consciously swept a hand over her eyes, banishing all traces of tears. "Did you recognize the star system? At the end? The planet…"

"I…yes, I think so. I need a minute…just a minute to think…" Stepping back a little, she touched her forehead, re-centering herself before she lowered her hand and looked at her friend.

"She loves you a great deal," she said. Shepard didn't need to ask who, knowing Liara saw that memory of Paul's graveside just as she had. "And you care a great deal for her."

"Yeah," Shepard admitted. "She saved me. Did more for me in my life than that useless piece of crap that birthed me. She's…she's a good woman. She didn't deserve to lose both her husband and her son. Her entire family gone, so pointlessly."

"She still has you, Shepard," Liara said gently. "Some of her family still remains. She-"

Liara broke off with a rapid flurry of blinks, then suddenly blurted, "Ilos! That is the world! It is _Ilos_!"

Surprisingly swift and agile for a woman who, not twenty-four hours before had shrapnel buried in her leg, Liara suddenly darted past and out of the comm room. Shepard turned and immediately ran after her, the asari rushing to the galaxy map and selecting a system, zooming in.

As she selected the world in question and drew it to the foreground, Shepard snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's _definitely_ it. Joker! How far are we from the Citadel?"

_{Ten hours, Commander,}_ Joker's voice replied only a breath later.

"Notify the Council that Ilos is the name of the planet Saren is heading to," she ordered. "I want a repair crew waiting for us dockside the moment we land, and heat up Anderson and Hackett's phone lines. If the Council won't back us up then maybe the Alliance will. I want a goddamn _fleet_ on my ass and on the way to Ilos the moment the _Normandy_ is five-by."

_{Aye aye, Commander.}_

"Commander, there is nothing more than can be done at the moment," Liara told her. "You need to be in the best shape possible when we confront Saren…and that means you need _rest._"

Shepard frowned, but knew that Liara was right. She'd gone far too many hours and one serious base assault without rack time. Looking at her XO she said, "I want to be notified if _anything_ comes over the horn, either from the Council or the Alliance."

"Of course," Pressley agreed. Shepard nodded and looked sternly at Liara. "And you, have Chakwas look you over and get some more sleep yourself. I need _everyone_ at their best when we cut off Saren's goddamn sac and shove it down his throat."


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Sorry, slightly shorter chapter than normal today. Busy busy at work!

* * *

><p>Shepard only allowed herself exactly the required eight hours of rack time before she was up again, quickly showering and changing before heading up to the CIC. By her watch, they would be back at the Citadel in just under two hours, and since Joker and Pressley had not wakened her, that meant both the Council and the Alliance had yet to respond to their messages.<p>

The Council…well, she was hardly surprised there. Hackett and Anderson, however, had _never_ let her down. She had honestly expected some kind of response from them within an hour…even if that response had been nothing more than a 'please stand by'. Complete silence was…discomfiting.

As she strode toward the helm, Joker's suddenly piped up, clearly sending a message down to her room and unaware she was walking up behind him. "Commander Shepard, we just received a message from the Citadel. You may want to get up here."

"I'm right here, Joker," she said as she drew to a halt beside the helm. The pilot, to his credit, didn't jump…but he did blink at her, surprised.

"Geez, we're going to want to get you a bell or something," he told her. "Got a message from the Council on the encrypted line. Looks like we got confirmation on our reinforcements, and they want you to report to chambers tonight at 19:00, along with Udina."

"Sounds like they finally got their heads out of their asses," she replied, relieved. "Nothing from Anderson or Hackett?"

"Not a peep, but if the Citadel is amassing a fleet they may be up to their eyeballs trying to get all available ships five-by in preparation."

"Let's hope that's the case. It's not like either of them not to at least _acknowledge_ a communication. Keep me updated Joker. We have those repair teams on stand-by?"

"Affirmative, they'll be ready to work the moment the ship is clamped."

"Commander?"

Shepard turned to see Ash standing there in uniform, her hand snapping up into a salute. "Gunnery Chief Williams reporting back to duty, ma'am."

"Ash?" Shepard frowned. "I thought Chakwas said you'd be down for forty-eight. Are you even supposed to be up?"

"I'm five-by, ma'am," the chief replied, lowering her arm but maintaining a stiff parade-rest. "Ready for duty."

"Ready for duty according to _you_, or according to _Chakwas_?" Shepard asked.

"With all due respect ma'am, I can be of far more use on my feet than racking it."

Shepard's eyes narrowed, and as she started away from helm-side she thought she heard Joker murmur, "Oh, this is _not_ going to go well."

Stopping nearly toe to toe with Ashley, Shepard regarded her sternly, every inch the commander. "Williams, you are _off duty_ until cleared to return by _Chakwas_. Am I clear?"

"Ma'am, I-"

"Am. I. _Clear_?"

"Yes, ma'am. Permission to speak candidly?"

"There's no need, Ash," Shepard told her. Though still stern, her voice lowered to a softer register. "I understand. Alenko is gone. Perkins, and Johnson. Right now you've got an overwhelming urge to beat the _shit_ out of something. I get it. I have the same urge. The stark truth is, Chief…_right now_ there is nothing to be done, nothing to hit. The _only_ thing you can do is rack it and heal up, get your head together. This fight is going to Saren very soon, and I hold no delusions that it will be anything but utterly brutal, and I need you _completely_ five-by when that happens. And if I have to order you back to your rack again you _will_ remain there until this mission is concluded. Understood?"

Ashley's jaw was tight, her brown eyes nearly as fiery as Shepard's were known to get when her temper flared to its breaking point. Within them, however, Shepard could see more than just anger, more than just that need to fight. Ash had lost her entire unit on Eden Prime. Now she had lost more people, friends. She was as much a soldier as Shepard was, and she devolved to the first response all soldiers fell into. You fight. You fight, and you never quit.

Yes, the fury was there, but beneath it was the pain, the grief. Shepard did not lack sympathy, but she couldn't have Ash hurting herself worse and taking herself out of the picture altogether.

"Yes, ma'am," Ashley replied at last, and saluted again. Shepard nodded.

"Report back to your rack until Chakwas clears you," she ordered. "And Williams? I know full well that 'with all due respect' really means 'kiss my ass', so don't you _ever_ say that to me again."

Ash's nod was sharp and quick, and she lowered her arm. "Yes, ma'am," she replied, before turning and striding away, back toward the infirmary.

* * *

><p>The Alliance dock was a bustle of activity the moment the <em>Normandy<em> was locked in, just as Shepard had requested. She oversaw the first of the repairs before leaving orders with Pressley that no one from the crew was to leave dockside, as she wanted to leave for the Mu Relay the moment the fleet was ready.

Liara, naturally, refused to be left behind. She followed Shepard and Wrex onto the elevator from the docking bay down to C-Sec as they headed for the Council meeting. Shepard was silently hoping they wouldn't run into any more walls of reporters again…she was seriously in the mood to put some teeth out, no matter how bad it looked over the extranet.

As the elevator sank over a hundred stories, Wrex suddenly smirked, then chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?" Shepard asked.

"Oh, just thinking," he replied, then glanced at Liara. "If you and Shepard got into a fight, who do you think would win?"

"_That_ is what you were thinking about?" Liara asked, surprised.

"Yeah. C'mon, it's a simple enough question. If you and Shepard were trying to kill each other, who do you think would win?"

"I cannot imagine any scenario in which I would be trying to _kill_ the commander," Liara replied vehemently. Wrex grunted and grinned.

"And that's exactly why _Shepard_ would win," he touted.

"Oh really?" Liara folded her arms. "Well, who do you think would win in a fight between _you_ and Shepard?"

"I can't believe you two are having this conversation," Shepard grumped, shaking her head.

"That's easy," Wrex snorted, ignoring the commander. "_I _would. Shepard wouldn't stand a chance."

"Is that so?" Shepard looked at him, lifting her brows. "Care to wager on it?"

"No," he told her seriously. "I don't want to kill you. We have to stop Saren first."

"So we stop Saren first," she replied. "And then we settle this."

"You want to die?"

"You certainly are confident that you'll win, aren't you?" Shepard smirked. "No, I don't particularly want either of us to die, so I'll tell you what we'll do. No weapons, no armor, no biotics. Moderated hand to hand, first one down loses."

Wrex narrowed his eyes, then shrugged. "Whatever. Your funeral."

Shepard's smile had a cold edge as she nodded. "It's a deal then."

"Shepard, you cannot fight a krogan warlord in hand to hand combat," Liara protested.

"Oh, so _you_ don't think I'd win either?"

"It is a simple matter of mass and biology!"

"Let her fight me if that's what she wants," Wrex shook his head. "If any human even had a chance to scuff my plates, it'd be Shepard."

The elevator settled, the doors opening before Liara could retort. As they started to exit, a wide, green insectile creature suddenly entered. It made no acknowledgement they were there, no conscious effort to force them aside, but neither did it try and avoid them. It was as if they simply didn't exist.

"Fuck," Shepard scowled as she managed to get out of the car, glaring at the thing. "What's with the damn Keeper?"

"Sorry about that," A nearby C-Sec officer called. "They've been oddly pushy the last few days. Everyone hopes they'll start settling down soon."

Shepard shook her head, heading over to the terminal to call a taxi. Keepers were something she'd never understand. Then again, no one else understood them either. An organic life-form and seemingly sentient, the Keepers had been on the Citadel when it was discovered by the asari. They gave no acknowledgement to anyone…save to suddenly dissolve themselves with some kind of acid in a weird suicide/self-destruct if they were detained or subjected to examination. They appeared to maintain the Citadel systems, yet also behaved in seeming random or arbitrary ways…rearranging furniture, stacking and un-stacking boxes, switching art on the walls, only to come through and re-do it again hours or weeks later.

Arriving at the tower, the bustle of military personnel of all races was clear, and all Shepard could think was '_finally_.' Finally, the Council had listened. Finally they could end this threat, bring Saren to justice.

Udina was waiting for them as they reached the platform, looking smug. That look was what sent Shepard's instincts to pricking once again…that, and Anderson's obvious absence.

"Your…_crew_…can wait here, Shepard," Udina ordered as soon as they were in ear-shot. "This meeting is for you only."

"Where's Anderson?"

"Otherwise occupied," the politician retorted. "Now, if you don't mind? We've wasted enough time waiting for you as it is."

Shepard glared at him, then gestured at Liara and Wrex to stay put, following the sharply-dressed little weasel the rest of the way to the audience platform.

"Commander," Tevos nodded as they approached. "We have word your ship is being repaired?"

"We took some damage on Virmire," Shepard told her. "Minimal. Don't worry, she'll be up to snuff in just under twenty-four and ready to lead the assault on Ilos."

"Assault?" the turian blinked. "Just what 'assault' do you think is going to take place, Shepard?"

"You replied to my message," Shepard said with a scowl. "You confirmed my reinforcements. I told you that Ilos is the planet that Saren is heading to, the location of the Conduit. We're going in to clear out his forces and stop him from getting to it."

"You misunderstood our reply, Commander," Tevos said gently. "The reinforcements we confirmed were the Arcturus and Primus fleets. The turian Primus fleet is en route to the Citadel and the Alliance will help us to secure the relays that link to the Terminus systems. We told you, we are securing all relays and routes that connect to Citadel space."

"_What_? You meant your _barricade_?" Shepard demanded furiously. "Saren is on Ilos, probably with a whole fleet of geth! We _should_ be heading to the Mu Relay!"

"Commander, the Mu Relay is well within the borders of the Terminus systems. We cannot send fleets in, it would cause full scale war," the salarian said, his tone patronizing.

"Saren has no course of action," Tevos added. "He cannot breech such a barricade, not even with a hundred geth drop-ships. His only advantage was secrecy. Now that we know his plan and are prepared he is no longer a threat."

Shepard could not believe her ears. They honestly thought that Saren wasn't a threat so long as they blockaded the relays and slapped up a couple extra patrols?

"With all _due_ respect, Councilors," she replied as calmly as she could, "You are vastly under-estimating Saren. I _strongly_ urge you to reconsider allowing a full fleet to accompany me to Ilos."

"Ambassador Udina, Shepard clearly isn't comprehending this," the turian snorted testily.

"Shepard, I understand it is difficult for you, but try and understand this. You _aren't_ going to Ilos," Udina said with bitter condescension. "With the Citadel relays blockaded, Saren is trapped in the Terminus. He is no longer a threat, do you understand? We cannot risk war by sending ships to Ilos after him when it is, at best, an empty gesture."

"_One ship_ going to Ilos isn't going to spark a war," Shepard retorted. "A ship with stealth capability at that! You're not even allowing the _Normandy_ to discreetly-"

"Should we talk about your record with discretion, Shepard?" the turian scoffed. "Starting firefights at strip clubs? Killing asari matriarchs? Setting off nuclear weapons? Threatening reporters? You don't know the meaning of the word 'discreet'!"

"Shepard, you've done your part. This is out of your hands now," Udina warned.

"The hell it is! I'm taking the _Normandy_ to Ilos," Shepard glared.

"You're aren't taking the _Normandy_ anywhere, Commander," Udina snapped back. "I have already ordered the ship locked down. You and your crew are grounded until further notice."

Shepard said nothing, simply stared at the ambassador. If he had truly interpreted the look in her eyes he might have started praying for his life. As it was, he only smirked and folded his arms.

"We are sorry it has come to this, Commander," Tevos stated. "But it is for the best. You and your crew have worked hard, and your work and sacrifices are appreciated. You have earned a break. Take some time. When it is confirmed this situation is resolved, you will be allowed to resume your duties, both for the Alliance and for the Council."

Shepard said nothing, only turned and strode back toward where Liara and Wrex were waiting, hands clenched so tightly her fingers ached.

* * *

><p>"<em>Commander Shepard…hero or lunatic?"<em>

Kalisah al-Jilani's voice spoke in haughty tones of exclusive tragedy, echoing through the empty mess hall. The only occupant, Shepard, sat on the floor, knees drawn up, a cup of coffee cradled in her hands as she listened to the newsfeed piping in over the extranet connection. As she was officially 'off-duty' now until further notice, she'd changed out of her uniform and sat there in her jeans, glaring at the scuffed toes of her boots.

_"Controversy continues to surround Commander Delilah Spruce Shepard, elite N7 marine twice decorated in the field and now the first human accepted into the exclusive ranks of the Citadel's Special Tactics and Reconnaissance group."_

"Fuck. My full fucking name? _Really_?" Shepard mumbled into her coffee.

_"Westerlund News has recently uncovered information about the new Spectre's past which lends support to the accusations that the supposed 'Butcher of Torfan' was chosen by the Council as humanity's first Spectre merely to 'set humanity up to fail'. A lengthy police record, criminal gang activity, and time spent in an institution for violent instability calls in to question not only the Council's judgment in granting such status to Shepard but also brings scrutiny upon our own Alliance forces for allowing such a woman into their ranks to begin with."_

So. Sperry had spilled the beans after all, proving that he was, in fact, a total and utter moron. Either that, or al-Jilani's investigative talents were better than Shepard had thought.

_Good enough to get into classified Alliance records? Please. Al-Jilani couldn't investigate her way out of a wet paper sack._

"Why are you listening to this?" Liara's voice broke through al-Jilani's declarations as the asari entered and went over to the console, swiftly turning off the newsfeed. "That woman is a viper."

"Yeah," Shepard shrugged, finishing the dregs of her coffee. "But she's probably right."

"What? You do not believe that," Liara said, going over and looking down at the seated woman. Shepard wadded up the empty paper cup and pitched it toward the refuse bin, before shrugging and looking up at the asari.

"Don't I? Name _one_ instance where the Council acted as if I were _anything_ other than a minor annoyance. Every report they treated with patronizing disdain. Every exchange is colored with suspicion, condescension and even direct insults. And now this. They lock me and my ship down like an unruly child sent to sit in the corner. Yeah, that _oozes_ confidence in me."

"Then they are blind fools," Liara replied, folding her arms. "They do not see because they do not want to admit the severity of the threat. They would like to fool themselves into thinking they have everything well in hand. Believing you would shatter their bubble of security, call them _and_ their defenses into question. Of _course_ they do not want to listen! But you and I, this crew…we know better. The things we have done, how far we have come…their beliefs do not change these facts. They do not alter who you are or what you can do."

"Maybe not, but in the mean time we're locked up like toddlers while Saren grabs the Conduit and plans the annihilation of trillions."

Liara frowned. "Do not tell me that you are giving up! That you are willing to simply sit here lamenting your misfortune while the reapers loom on the horizon, ready to wipe us all out!"

Shepard snorted. "Please, Sky Blue…you know me a fuck of a lot better than _that_. I'll figure a way to get back in the game if I have to steal a goddamn rocket-trike and pedal my ass to Ilos."

Liara let out a breath, her forehead smoothing as a small smile came to her face. "You do have a way with words," she teased lightly. "I have faith in you, Shepard. I am with you-"

"- all the way," Shepard finished, grinning faintly. "Yeah, I know you are."

Liara reached down, offering her hand to help Shepard to her feet. Gripping it, Shepard allowed the asari to pull her up but as she straightened she snuck an arm around Liara's waist, not allowing the other woman to step back.

"Thanks, Tianlán," she murmured softly. Liara studied her face, feeling that electric tension so sharply again…the same that had filled the air when they had danced.

"You are welcome, Shepard," she replied. Every molecule of her body seemed to be urging her forward, that electricity only growing sharper. Heart skipping in anticipation, she leaned forward a little, eyes drifting closed as she felt Shepard doing the same.

_{Commander?} _

"Jesus _fuck_! _Again_?" Shepard huffed in irritation, stepping back a pace as she released Liara. "You have got the goddamn _shittiest_ timing, Joker!"

_{Uh…sorry, Commander?}_ he replied, sounding confused. _{I just…a message just came in for you from Captain Anderson. He wants you to meet him at Flux in an hour…it's a bar in the 1400 blocks.}_

"Oh, _now_ he answers," Shepard grumbled. "Fine, tell him I'll be there."

_{Aye, Commander.}_

As the comm shut off, Shepard huffed in frustration, planting a hand on her hip and scrubbing the other over the back of her neck, before looking at Liara. "Sorry," she sighed, and made a helpless gesture. "You…wouldn't want to come with, would you? Might as well get a drink or two after I find out just why Anderson has his head up his ass."

"O-of course," Liara said, clearly a little flustered. A thin sheen of darker blue had spread over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. "Yes, of course I will come."

Shepard looked at her a long moment, then dropped her hand from the back of her neck. "Oh, what the hell…"

Stepping forward she grasped Liara's face in her hands, drawing her in and firmly meeting the asari's lips with her own.

Liara, startled, made a slightly muffled sound of surprise, but at the first indication that Shepard might draw back she possessively gripped the commander's shoulders, preventing the motion. She had never kissed anyone before, and the sheer intensity of it was highly unexpected. It made her head spin and her heart race in a manner that most certainly was not unpleasant.

Time seemed to halt, the mess hall to completely fall away. Though she had no experience, no practice, it was like following the ocean tides, and she simply trusted her instincts. As the kiss deepened her breath threatened to completely steal away from her. It was only reluctantly that she pulled back, panting faintly. Eyes still closed, her forehead rested against the human's. She realized she was gripping the commander's shirt as if to steady herself, and forced her fingers to loosen a little.

"Shepard…"

"Yeah?" Shepard whispered back, her breath a faint puff on Liara's lips. The asari's mouth curled into a smile, and she let out a faint chuckle as she said the only other word that came to mind.

"_Wow_…"

Shepard grinned, then laughed softly. "Yeah."

Unable to help herself, Liara dipped in again, allowing only the briefest touch of her lips to the commander's before she stepped back, lowering her hands. "We…you need to meet Anderson," she murmured.

Shepard cleared her throat, nodding. "Yeah, we uh…should go. Joker was probably getting ready to interrupt again anyway."

Liara smirked, ducking her head a little as Shepard stepped past, heading up toward the airlock. Briefly, her fingertips stole upward and touched her lips, before her smile grew and she turned to follow.

* * *

><p>Dressed in her civvies, Shepard moved unrecognized through the crowded wards, Liara beside her. No one so much as gave the human and asari a glance, too caught up in their own business to care about just another pair of bar-hoppers.<p>

With a quick stop at Avina, the Citadel's AI, to get directions, the two quickly found the club, the noisy flood of over-loud techno-sensory threatening to ram through their heads even before they reached the door.

"This place doesn't seem like Anderson's speed to me," Shepard shouted, trying to be heard as they stepped inside. Along with the obnoxious techno, gaudy neon lights lanced through puffs of artificial smoke filtering through vents on the bar.

"How could this place be _anybody's_ speed?" Liara called back. "I am already getting a headache!"

They moved up to the bar, Shepard searching through the crowd of shifting, dancing, and drunk forms distorted by both light and 'special effects', trying to spot the captain. The turian bartender barked over the din, asking what they wanted. Not bothering trying to be heard, Shepard merely held up two fingers and pointed at the tap. The beer here was probably as piss-poor and watered down as it had been at the small rock club, but getting drunk at the moment was not exactly her plan.

As the two beers arrived, Shepard finally spotted who she'd been looking for. Passing Liara a mug, she tapped her wrist and pointed into the distance, then picked up her own beer. Weaving her way through the writhing crowd, she slid into the booth across from him.

"Interesting place you chose to be yelled at in," Shepard grumped at him as Liara also seated herself. Anderson looked up from his glass, then shook his head.

"Yeah, I know you're pissed, and with good reason," he replied, taking a drink. "Sorry about the noise, I figured it would be better for privacy. Hello, Dr. T'Soni."

"Captain," Liara replied with a neutral nod.

"No messages, no replies to my requests," Shepard glared. "No warning that Udina was going to fucking sell us out? I expect that bullshit from the Council, Captain. Not from you and Hackett…or has the Alliance given up on me too?"

"No," Anderson said sternly. "Shepard, I'm sorry. Our silence was not…voluntary. We received your messages almost immediately after the brass put a sanction out forbidding communication from any Alliance vessel to the _Normandy_. It came from the top, Shepard…obviously the Council pulled some thick strings. That tied Hackett's hands pretty tightly. I tried to get a message to you but Udina cut my access. They wanted nothing stopping you from docking so they could lock down the ship."

"I never did trust those goddamn fucking bureaucrats," Shepard snarled, and took a draught of her beer.

"Captain, isn't there _something_ you can do," Liara asked Anderson. "Forgive me, I know we have not met but I know that you know Shepard as well as I do. You know this threat is real, that this blockade the Council has planned is not sufficient. We need to get to Ilos or there will be no stopping him."

"I'm already on it," Anderson reassured. "That's why I called Shepard here. Look, the Council thinks this is over and done with, that the threat is moot now with their silly little blockade…but we all know it's not nearly that easy."

"Well, you know I'm not willing to stop. So what do we do?" Shepard asked. "There's only one ship that can get me to Ilos undetected, and they got her cinched tighter than Tevos's ass."

"I've been considering that and I think I have a plan," he told her. "There may be a way to lift the lockdown briefly, if we're careful. Ambassador Udina's computer holds security keys to both issue and release lockdown command for the Alliance berths. If I break into his office I can release the lockdown command long enough for you to get out of the docking bay. If we're lucky we can catch the security patrols off guard. The _Normandy_ is fast enough for you to hit the nearest relay and be gone before they even realize what is happening."

"You know that's treason, sir," Shepard told him. "I don't mind taking the risk myself but…you'd be arrested and court-martialed. And my crew might not be too thrilled about the consequences either."

"Who?" Liara asked, looking at her. "Ashley? Pressley? Grand, Ferril, or Kim? Shepard, who is it you think would protest? Your crew would follow you anywhere."

"Even if that's true, it doesn't mean it's right for me to ask them. If we do this they don't just lose their career, Liara…they could be _executed_ for treason, just like Anderson could be."

"A risk I am more than willing to take," Anderson told her. "This is bigger than any of us, Shepard…you know that. Trillions of lives are on the line."

"We cannot leave until the repairs are completed tomorrow anyway," Liara stated as Shepard sat back, frowning. "As soon as they are concluded inform the crew of our plan. Those that do not wish to take part, we can put off board immediately before the ship is uncoupled."

Shepard smirked, shaking her head. "I really have corrupted you, haven't I? You used to be a timid archaeologist, Liara."

"She is right though," Anderson said. "We have to at least try, Shepard."

"Of course we do," she agreed. "All right. Repairs will be completed at 16:00 tomorrow. If you can lift the lockdown at 16:30 that will give me time to prepare the crew. I will offload anyone who objects at exactly 16:25. I don't think, if they were so inclined, they could get even C-Sec to listen to them fast enough to make a difference."

"I do not think you will be offloading anyone," Liara affirmed.

"All right. 16:30 exactly, I will lift the lock-down from Udina's office. Hopefully he won't be there. If he is…well, that may end up being even more fun."

"Thank you, captain," Shepard said, reaching over the table and gripping his hand. "I…there's really not much more to say than that."

"Just do us proud, Shepard. I know you will," he replied with a nod. "And Shepard…don't discount the admiral just yet either. I know that he's more than willing to listen where others do not."


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note:

Wow, _so_ sorry for the lengthy delay! I should be publically flogged. Or...not. No, come to think of it, I probably wouldn't like being flogged much.

Anyway, it shouldn't happen again, and hopefully the wait was worth it. There WILL be another brief hiatus for the weekend but the next chapter will be up on Monday, and I'll be back on my regular schedule. For now, enjoy!

* * *

><p>Shepard stood at the end of the boarding ramp to the Alliance dock, watching the last of the repair workers clearing away. She stood at parade-rest, her uniform as crisp as it ever was, black boots gleaming like mirrors. To anyone watching she was the perfect example of an Alliance marine; straight-backed, well-groomed, stone-faced.<p>

An Alliance marine. It was what she had been for the last ten years…what she was down to her core. The Alliance had given her structure, stability, an outlet for her anger…a family and a cause to fight for. She still remembered being eighteen years old, standing in the broad green field with a hundred of her compatriots, hours fresh out of boot and solemnly reciting the oath of service, hand over her heart and eyes fixed on the golden Alliance seal.

She remembered her struggles in boot camp. Once so disdainful of authority and then immersed in it, smothered by it, and finally, tempered by it. How easy it would have been, more than a few times, to quit…and how hard it had been to fight on, to refuse to let in to anything, even her own self-doubts.

Now here she was. Here she stood, in front of the most advanced ship ever to sail in the fleet…a commander, an N7, a Spectre…and less than half an hour away from the moment she would no longer have a right to wear the uniform she'd fought so hard to attain.

Not _exactly_ the way she thought her career would end. She had never really expected to retire, of course…death in the field was far closer to the realm of likelihood than old age and a veteran's pension. However _this_ was a possibility that had never crossed her mind…to end finish as a felon, a traitor. Even if they stopped Saren on Ilos, she had nothing to look forward to after that other than trial and execution…or a lifetime of hiding in the Terminus, a fugitive from the very forces she would sacrifice anything for.

_Yes, that's right. You would sacrifice __**anything**__ for the Alliance. That hasn't changed. Your career, your reputation…even your life if it comes down to it. Saren must be stopped, or you know full well those visions in your head won't simply be memories of some long-extinct race's extermination. There will be _human_ mothers fleeing through the woods looking for their slaughtered children. _Human_ colonies in flames as great metal demons boil the air above them. _Human_ flesh ignited and turned to ash with no hope of salvation._

Lifting her hand a moment, she touched the pips at her collar, beside the small gold and ruby N7 insignia. They meant something, yes…but that meaning vanished unless she was willing to follow through on her oath, unless she was willing to give up absolutely everything so that others could live.

Turning, she strode back along the ramp and into the ship, the resolve in her eyes steeled once again.

"Pressley, is everyone on board?"

"Yes ma'am," the XO replied, straightening from a CIC console as Shepard entered.

"Good. Full crew meeting in the comm room in two minutes. Everyone. If it's got a pulse on this ship I want it in there, even the rats in the ducts, understood?"

* * *

><p>The comm room was just large enough to fit the entirety of the <em>Normandy<em>'s crew, and the soft rumble of speculative murmurs greeted Shepard as she entered, moving half-way down the entrance ramp before drawing to a halt. Though everyone there knew the ship was on Council-sanctioned lock down, only Liara was aware of what Shepard had planned. The asari stood near the front, giving a slight nod of encouragement when Shepard glanced her way.

As Shepard straightened and squared her shoulders, the murmurings fell silent, all eyes on her.

"As you all know, Ambassador Udina and the Council have grounded this ship and crew. Turian and asari fleets patrol the mass relays linking to the Citadel and they have requested the fifth fleet to help secure the borders of the Terminus systems, in an attempt to corral Saren and his geth forces. They believe this is sufficient to neutralize Saren, and consider any possible threat by the Reapers to be nothing more than hearsay, speculation, or a story that Saren simply made up to manipulate the geth. Now, I know differently. This crew knows differently. What we saw on Eden Prime will be repeated a billion times over, on every inhabited world in the galaxy, if we don't act _immediately_ to stop Saren's plan on Ilos."

She fell silent a moment, searching the eyes and faces of those before her. "Most of us are Alliance soldiers," she then continued. "Our lives have been devoted to securing our people, our colonies, and our place in this new galactic community. We have shed blood and would stand tall before the treads of oncoming invaders to protect those who cannot protect themselves. But you know there are not only human faces in this crew, not only marines. Every single person here, krogan, asari, quarian, turian, as _well_ as human, has fought and suffered and bled for what they feel…what they _know_ is right. Their resolve and courage is no less than ours, and we could not have come this far without them."

Her voice lowered slightly, but lost none of its determination. If anything, that determination strengthened and clarified. "Now I must ask all of you to go a little further. At precisely 1630 hours Captain David Anderson will enter Ambassador Udina's office, pacify any resistance, and lift the lock down order on this ship. The _Normandy_ will then leave the Citadel and proceed en route to Ilos in an attempt to stop Saren from reaching the Conduit before time has run out. This act _will be_ considered treason, both in the eyes of the Citadel Council and the Alliance. I, and this entire crew, will be regarded as felons and traitors, and if we succeed and return to Citadel space we will be arrested, court-martialed, and likely executed for our actions. I cannot _order_ any of you to agree but I am _asking_ it of you…as a fellow soldier. When I swore the oath of service, I made a solemn vow to protect my people and her colonies, to sacrifice anything and everything to that end. Yes, that means I am willing to sacrifice my life…but more than that, I am willing to sacrifice my career, my uniform, my name _and_ my honor in the sight of my fellow man. I am willing to stand before those treads that threaten everything I care about…even if they are the treads of my own Alliance command. Trillions of lives are on the line. Every galactic civilization is at risk, and I mean to fight until the bitter end to put a stop to that risk."

Searching over the faces there once again, Shepard reached up and unfastened her uniform tunic. Slipping it off, she folded it reverently and lay it over a nearby railing before facing them again. Dressed now from the waist up in only her black tank-top and dog tags she said, "No orders. No commands. I am _asking_ you as a soldier to soldiers, as a warrior to warriors. Anyone who does not wish to take part in this action will be put off on the dock, and I will not think less of _anyone_ who chooses to remain behind. Those of you who decide to stay agree to take this all the way. Once we leave the Citadel there will be _no_ turning back."

There was a moment of faint murmurs, exchanged looks, but no hands lifted and no one came forward or spoke up.

That is, until Ash cleared her throat and called up to where Shepard stood, folding her arms with a smirk.

"Commander? If you're done we _might_ want to dismiss for duty stations if we're going to be ready when Anderson lifts the lock down."

There was a low rumble of agreement from the others, and Shepard felt her shoulders loosen just the tiniest bit, before she nodded.

"Duty stations then. Let's get this bird ready to fly. Dismissed."

A surprisingly enthusiastic rumble of 'oorah!' erupted from the marines. Wrex grinned happily and slammed his fists together as Shepard stepped aside and let her crew move past her and out of the comm room.

Shepard met Ashley's eyes as the gunnery chief went past, and nodded in gratitude. Ashley grinned, slapping Shepard lightly on the shoulder before moving out with the others.

As the flow died down, Liara paused at Shepard's side with a small smile. "It is impolite in asari culture to say 'I told you so,' so I will refrain."

"And yet you just did, didn't you?" Shepard smirked as they headed out to the CIC.

* * *

><p>Joker's eyes shifted from the HUD time-clock display as the seconds inched up toward 1630, to the glowing red 'restricted' that marked the rest of his helm controls. Shepard silently stood at his shoulder, occasionally glancing back toward the CIC, where the crew were all at their stations, tensely waiting.<p>

The last few seconds swept by, the display shifting from 16:29:59 to 16:30:00 and then counting onward, the red 'restricted' never fading. Shepard stared at it, as if willing it to vanish. Joker half-glanced at her, then back at his display, whispering a softly urging "c'mon…"

Fifteen seconds passed, then suddenly the restriction vanished, the command and control protocols blinking into existence as the console lit up like New Years.

"Get us out of here, Joker," Shepard barked. His fingers flew as he sealed the airlock, freeing the clamps that held the Normandy in place, and set in their course. Turning, the commander strode toward the now frantically bustling CIC.

"Adams, I need full power…we're going to have to hit that relay hot before the turian patrols know what's going on!"

_{Engines at optimal in four seconds, Commander!}_ the engineer called back over the comm.

"Chief Williams! Weapons ready! Warning shots only, and _only_ if the patrols move to interfere or intercept."

"Aye ma'am," Ashley replied, powering up the forward guns.

"Engines at full, _Normandy_ is at top flight speed," Joker called. "Hitting the relay in nine seconds."

"Patrols holding their patterns," Ashley reported.

"Five seconds! All decks prepare for relay mass transit in three…two…one…_mark_!"

Despite the inertial dampeners Shepard always fancied she could feel a slight shift in the floor beneath her feet as the _Normandy_ was grabbed by the mass relay's energy field and propelled faster than the speed of light.

She let out a faint breath. It was done. It would take them seventeen hours and a trip through the relay in the Horsehead Nebula to reach Hawking Eta, where the coordinates Benezia had given them pinpointed the Mu Relay. From there it was just a matter of putting in the transit plan for Ilos and then…well, then she just hoped they still had a chance. Saren had a serious head start on them. If he knew exactly _where_ on Ilos the Conduit was located he could already have it. Having seen the exact same visions she had, however, it was possible that he hadn't even identified the planet quite yet…after all, he didn't have Liara to help him recognize it. With luck on her side, they may even arrive before he did, and be waiting for him when he got there.

_Just remember what kind of luck you usually get. Your kind of luck doesn't leave much chance of beating him there…more like just_ missing _him and finding yourself face to face with a full geth armada laying in ambush._

* * *

><p>The warm glow of the holographic interface of her desk console silently waited, never shifting, ever patient. The telephone code flashed faintly as Shepard sat back in the chair, eyes half-glazed as she regarded it.<p>

Communication channels would still work. The _Normandy_ was linked to more than four active public comm buoys at the moment, any of them fully capable of speeding her phone call across the galaxy at incredible velocity. The ship's time was 22:00 but at the colony in the Terminus it was just after ten am.

Her finger stole over the 'connect' command, then stole away again without activating it.

_What do I say? How do I even start to explain this?_

Scrubbing a hand over her face she grit her teeth, then reached out and hit the activate command.

_Maybe she won't answer. Maybe it'll just dump me to voice messaging. Maybe-_

A faint click, then the familiar, cheerful voice filled the air. "Nancy Salgado."

"Hey, Nan…it's me," Shepard replied with a slightly forced smile…even though the call was audio only.

"_Del_?" The surprise and joy were both clear in her voice. "My goodness, it's so good to hear from you, sweetie! Do you know I've been following you on the news?"

Shepard groaned faintly, shaking her head. "You shouldn't bother with that nonsense…"

"Oh please, give me _some_ credit," Nancy laughed. "That…what's her name…al-Jilani is a slimy little weasel. None of us bother listening to a single word she says. Francini and Dougherty…now _those_ two know what's what."

"Uh…what do you mean, none of _us_?"

"The colony, of course! We had a regular little celebration the day they announced your name as the first human Spectre. We even had beer from our own little distillery…not exactly on the Colonial Affair's approved supplies list but easy enough to rig up."

Shepard groaned again, and Nancy laughed.

"C'mon now, sweetie. You know how proud I am of you! I saw that vid, the one of you standing with your crew, saluting that fallen asari matriarch and I…I'm not ashamed to say I was bawling like a little girl at the sight of it. We're all behind you, hon. You are doing _great_ things."

Shepard felt her eyes heat a little, propping her forehead on one hand. "Yeah…well, I'm…I'm not sure how great they are any more…" she murmured.

"Del, what's the matter?"

"I've just…I've done something, Nan. I can't really tell you what but I'm sure you'll see at least part of it on the news feeds soon. And umm…I'm on my way into…well, into what's probably going to be a really big clusterfuck and I'm not entirely sure that-"

She broke off, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "Nan, I just…no matter what you hear or see on the news feeds, no matter what people may…may tell you about me or about what happened I…"

"Del, I know you as well as if you were my own natural daughter," Nancy said patiently. "Ain't a soul in this galaxy could tell me a lie about you and have me believe it. I understand if you can't tell me what's going on but…if you _did_ something then I already know it was the right choice…the _only_ choice. And whatever it is you may be going into…I know that you'll stay strong. I know that if anyone can come through it, _you_ can."

"I wish I had that same faith in me," Shepard admitted.

"Well, that's all right. I have enough faith in you for the both of us," Nancy replied matter-of-factly.

Shepard cleared her throat, wiping her fingers over her cheeks a moment before she changed the subject. "So…the colony. Things are going well? You like it out there?"

"Oh, it's hard…I won't lie. But it's beautiful here…night sky like you wouldn't believe, sunsets'd take your breath away. I couldn't ask for a much better way to spend my twilight years."

"Your years are not so twilight as you'd have people believe," Shepard told her.

"My aching knees would argue that with you, but you're sweet for saying," Nan chuckled. Shepard smirked.

"You know, my crew and…well, just about _anyone_ that's spent longer than five minutes in my company…if they could hear you calling me 'sweet' all the time they'd think you were insane."

"What? Oh, don't give me that. You may be all gruff and potty-mouthed on the outside but I know as well as you do you're nothing but a gushy teddy bear beneath it."

"A _gushy teddy bear_?" Shepard laughed incredulously. "Woman, keep it up and I may commit you _myself_."

Nancy giggled, a sound which always made her sound like a pre-teen school girl, and never failed to make Shepard grin.

"You can't argue facts, darling. I have a feeling your crew knows it already, as well as I do. At the very least, that asari doctor what's-her-name…T'Soni? Lara, I think. At least _she_ does."

"She…w-_what_?" Shepard stammered, confused. "Dr. T'S…what could possibly have made you say _that_?"

"I'm old, Del…not blind," Nancy snorted. "I told you, I saw that vid of you saluting with your crew a dozen times over…you _do_ know it doesn't end with just the salute, right? You can't hear any sound of course but the full version _also_ shows you expressing concern to that asari girl, making sure she's all right. Honey, I may not be the hottest catch in the galaxy but I went around the block a time or two in my younger years before I met Jason and let me tell you…the expression on that girl's face when she looked at you...I wore that look more than a _few_ times growing up. She's got quite the little crush on you, I think."

Shepard, flabbergasted, said nothing, only stared at her console in shock. After a moment Nancy noticed the silence and spoke again.

"Oh dear. This isn't news, is it? You _know_ she's crushing on you."

"I…th-that's neither here nor there," Shepard retorted. "Tianlán was just upset. She was the matriarch's daughter, you know, and-"

"_Tianlán_?"

"Liara!" Shepard blurted. "_Liara_ was just upset!"

"And _you_ are just flustered…and _Tianlán_, what is this- a nickname?" Nancy teased, a grin clear in her voice. "Delilah, are _you_ crushing on the good doctor as well?"

"Oh, my God," Shepard mumbled, face in her hands.

"You _are_!"

"I can't _believe_ I'm having this conversation."

"_I _can't believe you weren't going to _tell_ me," Nancy sniffed.

"It's…it's nothing, Nan. I mean…we just met a few weeks ago, and things have been kind of intense-"

"Few weeks, puh. You know perfectly well that I was engaged only two weeks after meeting Jason, and our marriage lasted fifteen years before he passed, God rest him."

"Marriage! Who's talking _marriage_?"

"I'm just saying that _sometimes_, a few weeks is all it takes, darling. Really, you are awfully defensive on the subject. Can't imagine why…are you worried I won't like her because she's not human?"

"No, of course not-"

"Good, because I don't hold to that Terra Firma xenophobe nonsense and you shouldn't either."

"I don't."

"Good. I do get to meet her, don't I?"

"I don't know," Shepard said with a surrendering sag to her shoulders. "Maybe."

"I'd _better_ get to meet her," Nancy ordered. "And I had better get to see you again soon. I know you said you're flying into a…how did you put it? A clusterfuck?"

"Nan!" Shepard blinked with a startled laugh, unable to remember the last time she'd heard the woman swear.

"Well, that's what _you_ called it, a clusterfuck! I know that you're heading into a…well, a dangerous situation, sweetheart. But I _am_ planning to see you again someday, come hell or high water. And if this girl means _anything_ to you I would love to meet her."

"I…we'll see, Nan."

"Sweetie, I pray for you day and night, you know that? I don't know if God is up there or if He listens but…I do. I pray to see you again, that you'll be guided whole through whatever flames may rise in your path. I suppose all mothers of marines become religious in the end, hoping to open their doors and see their young ones standing there again, safe and sound."

Shepard lowered her head, closing her eyes. After a long moment of silence, she heard Nan sniffle faintly.

"Well, then. I'd…I'd best let you go. I have to help finish the hydroponics system for the north garden today and they'll be waiting on me. Please…take care of yourself, Del. Remember that I love you, and that I have faith in you. Be safe, darling."

"I will, Nan. I…take care of yourself too, all right?"

"Anything you say, Commander. Bye bye."

There was a faint click, and the console went from 'connected' to 'call terminated.' Head in her hand, Shepard closed her eyes, thin tears working their way slowly down her cheeks before she wiped them away with swipes of irritation, banishing their existence.

Nancy had such confidence in her. Shepard only wished she could share it, that they'd all make it through this…that this wasn't the last time she'd get to talk to the only real mother she'd ever known.

Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes. In all honesty she should try and get some sleep. Who knew when or even _if_ things would settle down again and allow her to rest? She knew, though, that it would be a futile exercise. Her mind was racing far too much to make sleep even a remote possibility right now.

_Why couldn't the Council just listen? Now I'm a fugitive, I've made a fine crew of good men and women fugitives, and have to lead them alone into the mouth of hell just on the __**hope**__ that there may be even a slim possibility of halting these…Reapers._

They say the silence on the eve of a battle is the deepest there is, the night before the dawn broken by bugles sounding a charge the longest that ever stretch. Plenty of silence in which to think. Plenty of time in which to contemplate your own mortality, and the long, complicated dance that had gotten your life to this point.

Shepard found, however, that her mind wasn't really on any of those things. Sitting there at her quiet console in the dark of her room only one thought kept repeating with any amount of persistence. She wished Liara had stayed behind. She wished that, no matter what happened with Saren and the Conduit and the geth and the Reapers…she'd at least have the knowledge that Liara was all right, that she was safe somewhere, out of the path of this oncoming hell.

She had never really cared about facing her own death. When she was a child, death would have been infinitely better than what she faced day to day. Even after she'd gone to the institution and joined the marines, after she'd discovered what it was like to see beauty in the world, to care about people, to fight for a cause rather than just for mere existence…she'd have gladly faced any end to her life so long as Nan and her crew were safe.

Now…suddenly it seemed daunting. She didn't know what Liara had done to her or how, what it was that had turned her around so completely but…for the first time in her life, Shepard didn't really _want_ to die. She didn't want to just fight for some cause, she wanted to fight for _herself_. She wanted to live, for Liara to live…even if just to find out where this was going.

_There is_ something _here, damn it. There is something here that I_ deserve _to have_. We _deserve to have it_.

Saren and the Reapers weren't just threatening to take away their lives, they were also threatening to take away _this_…a future, a chance to be actually, really _happy_. The thought of losing that chance filled Shepard with an anger she hadn't ever felt before now…and that was saying something.

The door call suddenly sounded, and she lifted her head, opening her eyes. Self-consciously she swiped her hands over her face but there was no dampness, no trace of the earlier tears that had fallen. Clearing her throat she hoped it wasn't simply more bad news as she called out, "Come in!"

As she rose the door slid open, Liara peering tentatively within.

"Tianlán? You ok?" Shepard asked, brows knitting.

"Yes, I am fine," the asari replied softly, then gestured toward Shepard's console. "I…can come back later, if you are busy."

"No, no. I just finished a call, is all. C'mon in."

Liara stepped forward, the door sliding shut behind her as she cleared its sensor. Her eyes fell to the uniform folded neatly on the bed. Shepard herself was wearing her black tank and a pair of yoga pants as she turned back to her desk, putting her console on stand-by. "You want a drink?"

"No, thank you," Liara murmured. She knew the significance of the folded uniform, and it meant much more than simply Shepard preparing for bed. Had that been all, it would have been put away, or dumped in the sanitizer.

_She does not feel as if she has a right to wear it any more_.

Feeling her hands trembling a little, she folded them behind her back, standing straight. A call, Shepard had said. There was only one person Liara knew that she would feel the need to even attempt to call. "Did you get through to her?"

"Nan? Yeah. We talked a bit. I didn't…I couldn't tell her what I'd done but…"

Leaning back on the desk she folded her arms and shrugged, her eyes brooding. Liara softened a little.

"…but you wanted the chance to say good-bye," she murmured understandingly. "In case we do not come back from this."

"Hey, we're coming _back_," Shepard replied, gently but firmly.

Liara smiled faintly, nodding before she waved a hand lightly. "I did not come here looking for comfort, Shepard. I…cannot stop thinking."

"Yeah, me either," Shepard sighed. "Times like these I wish my brain had a fuckin' off-switch. I keep thinking about this crew…about what's going to happen even if we do manage to stop Saren. I don't regret making the choice I did but...people's lives, their careers…"

"Hey," Liara moved over, reaching out and taking Shepard's hands. "You gave them the chance to bow out. Not a single one of them took it. I know that as a commander you always feel you must take responsibility for everything that happens but…they _chose_ this. They know the consequences. We all do."

"Yeah," Shepard murmured, then met Liara's eyes. "I know you keep saying that you're with me until the end but…part of me wishes that you'd stayed behind on the Citadel. My gut is telling me this is…_not_ going to end well. I would rather you were safe somewhere."

Liara shook her head. "_I_ would _not_," she said firmly. "There is no where I want to be more than right here with you. No matter what befalls us. Shepard…I have been thinking, as I said. Thinking about what the Consort said to me, what Kaidan spoke of on Virmire."

"Kaidan? What did _Kaidan_ say?"

Liara lowered her eyes a little, looking at their hands still clasped together in front of them. The loss of her friend was still a new wound, and her eyes glossed as she remembered him sitting there in the sunset, talking about a future he would never get.

"We were talking, on the beach," she said softly. "He said that now was what was important, that everything else…the stars and planets, species rising up and falling, even the horror of the Reapers…all of that would return again, in an endless cycle. But the _now…_us and our lives, our decisions…this would never happen again. There will not be another Kaidan Alenko, another Ashley Williams or Garrus Vakarian. There will not be another me…another you, Shepard. _We_ are important right now."

She lifted her gaze again, doing her best to fearlessly meet the soft brown eyes watching her. "The Consort spoke of regrets. Kaidan had dreams that were cut short too soon. They were both right, Shepard. I…I keep thinking there will be so many tomorrows, that there will be plenty of time but…losing him, seeing all I have seen in the last few weeks…I know now that is a foolish and naïve child's dream. I do not want to regret. I do not want to lose the chances given me because I am too frightened to grasp hold of them."

Shepard's brows knit, and she gave a faint shake of her head. "Li, you can't pressure yourself like that. You can't push yourself into something you're not ready for just because of fear -"

"It is not that," Liara replied, straightening a little. "I keep thinking about you, Shepard. You occupy my every waking moment. After…Benezia died, I was so angry with you but when you were shot the only thing I could think of was not only that you would die, but…that you were taking my entire future, my entire life, with you. It has only been a few weeks but I cannot imagine myself living without you. I think back to the mess hall, to you…the kiss…and…"

She shook her head again, lowering her eyes as words failed her. Releasing her hands, Shepard took gentle hold of her shoulders and ducked her head a little, trying to seek out the asari's gaze again.

"Hey," she said softly. "It's all right."

"I cannot lose you, Shepard," Liara said after a moment. "But…if it should happen, I do not want to spend whatever is left of my life with regret as well as loss."

Steeling her courage, she looked back up at the human woman. "Please…this may be the only chance we have. Whatever happens tomorrow…whatever happens on Ilos, with Saren or the Reapers…I…what matters is _us_, now. I…"

Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against Shepard's shoulder, feeling the marine's arms slip around her, embracing. As before, they made her feel safe, cared for, content. The faint scent of her soap and cigars was like a drug. No, she couldn't let this go. She _had_ to take the chance.

Eyes closed, she whispered softly against Shepard's ear.

"_Be with me."_

The returning whisper against her own ear sent light prickles along her arms.

"Only if you're sure, Tianlán…"

Moving back just enough, Liara kissed her, feeling her heart immediately speed up. She tried to pour everything she was feeling into that kiss, to make it more than clear to Shepard what she was feeling…and had _been_ feeling almost since the moment they'd first met.

As the kiss broke she didn't move back, their foreheads lightly resting against each other as they breathed. "Does that feel as if I am sure?" she asked.

Shepard grinned, letting out a faint chuckle. "Yeah…feels like a _lot_ of things," she agreed. "_All_ of them good."

Dipping in Shepard kissed her again. Liara felt her muscles unravel as every concern, every fear, ever doubt she had ever had seemed to melt and fall away. There was no more timidity, no more question whether or not this was right. How could this feeling be anything _other_ than right?

An eternity seemed to pass, but in truth it was only a few moments. When she felt the soft skin of the commander's hands on her bare back, having slipped beneath the hem of her tunic, Liara caught her breath in a gasp, breaking off the kiss.

"Shepard…"

No less breathless, Shepard replied, "We can stop…"

"No!" Liara blurted, then colored a little at her vehemence. Nuzzling the human woman's cheek slightly, pressing another kiss to the corner of her mouth she clarified her protest. "No, I just…I want this to be a true Joining. I don't want to just be with you, I want to feel your spirit with mine…to become one in every way."

"Just tell me what to do," Shepard murmured. Her hand shifted again, lightly stroking over Liara's back in just the right spot, making the asari gasp again. Liara wondered if Shepard had taken the time to look up asari physiology on the extranet, or if her very well-placed caresses weren't just a happy accident.

"It is like the knowledge melds," Liara breathlessly explained, clinging to the commander as if she would drown if she released her. Each stroke of her fingers was lighting her up in incredible ways. "Only a much deeper, much stronger connection. It will bind us both on a very personal level-"

Shepard smiled lightly against Liara's lips. "You _really_ want to give me a science lesson right now, Tianlán?" she teased gently.

"No," Liara breathed, then captured her lips again briefly.

"Find your peace, Shepard." Her voice seemed barely audible over the thunder of her heartbeat. "Find your place in the universe, in existence. Find your place with _me_…"

"Li…"

"_We are one_."

Liara's eyes had turned obsidian as she captured Shepard's gaze. Unlike the knowledge melds, there were no torn up, tortured memories -no trauma, pain or grief. They remained supremely aware of each other but the walls of the quarters around them seemed to melt away, to vanish into golden sunlight, the eternal surge of the ocean, an utterly perfect peace.


	19. Chapter 19

The wind lashed around them like a living creature, salivating with rain and eager to tear them off of the roof and into the abyssal black. Faces seemed to grimace in the boiling clouds, lit up with bold licks of lightning.

Water shed from the furious sky ran down Shepard's face like tears, mingling with tendrils of crimson that slipped from her lips, from the gash at the corner of her eye. On her knees and soaked to the skin, cold enough her lips were turning blue, the human commander grit her teeth and grinned like a death-mask.

The rifle butt lifted and slammed into her face again. Half thrown to the side as her nose broke, Shepard was held upright only by the shackles chaining her hands behind her back, fastening them to the railing at the rooftop's edge.

A new wash of dark red now sliding down her face, the human woman simply continued to grin, feral and dark eyes turning to meet those of her attacker.

No, her _executioner_.

"She died _mewling_," Shepard cooed. "Writhing and mewling in pain."

The rifle aimed. Light pressure on the trigger caused the laser sight to activate, the tiny red dot appearing right between the captive commander's eyes. Shepard's pink-tinged grin grew wider, impossibly wide, her voice the slither of a serpent.

"_Mewling_."

The rifle fired, a sharp insistent bark of justice. Shepard's forehead erupted in a wash of half-congealed blood, rotting brain, and yellow-white chips of bone. A flood of maggots spilled out and she only grinned wider, her eyes alight with fire.

"_So will you_."

* * *

><p>Osco half-jolted awake, the echo of Shepard's voice ringing in her ears and a dozen different parts of her body aching moodily. Lifting her head from the table top, she cradled it delicately in one hand, trying to orient herself to consciousness again.<p>

Just a dream. Another dream, fueled by her cocktail of steroids and chemicals and hallucinogens. It was getting harder to tell dreams from reality at times.

"Maybe you're still dreaming," Shepard spoke over her shoulder.

"Go away," Gellian mumbled. She was conscious now, she knew. This was too nauseating, too stark and harsh, to be anything other than reality. "Go away or I'll shoot you again."

"Shoot me all you want, it won't do any good," Shepard chuckled.

"I know that. Go away."

"They won't let you stay here much longer, Jelly…do you mind if I call you Jelly?"

Rolling her dry, reddened eyes, Osco glanced over at the figure that both was and was _not_ standing there. As if she'd strolled in straight from the dream, this Shepard was soaking wet, a pair of bloody cuffs dangling from one wrist. Her nose was broken, eyes bruised beneath the gaping hole in her skull. A maggot crawled idly down from the mess, past her nose and then fell from her chin as it lost its grip.

"That is the most puerile nickname I have ever heard," Osco said disdainfully.

"Jelly it is then," Not-Shepard grinned. "They're going to make you leave, Jelly. You know that. This isn't Benezia's home any more. It's not _your _home. It belongs to that simpering little nerdish weakling that dares call herself a T'Soni."

"I _know_ that," Gellian snapped in irritation. Scattered about her on the table were data pads covered in research notes among the detritus of her latest intoxication soiree. More than one hypodermic clattered to the floor as she rifled through them, looking for her vitamin shot. "Why do you think I sold my research to Okeer? Why do you think I've been dealing with the Shadow Broker? I need money."

"You could always turn to Cerberus again," Not-Shepard pointed out as she turned and perched on the edge of the table, folding her arms. "You know how well funded they are."

"That…is a last resort," Osco grumped. Finding the needed medication she spun open the bottle and tipped it into her mouth. "Cerberus isn't getting their claws on my babies if I can help it."

"_All_ of your babies?" Not-Shepard asked with another grin. "You seemed so willing to let the eldest go. I was quite surprised when Miranda all but handed her back to you and you ignored her."

Gellian slammed her hands down with a snarl. "I am not accepting help from _Cerberus_!"

"Not even to kill me?" Not-Shepard chortled. "I didn't think you'd let pride stand in your way but…all the better for me then, I suppose."

As she leaned forward, a wad of coagulated brain plopped out and landed on the desk beside Osco's hand. Whispering almost intimately in the woman's ear, Not-Shepard said, "Just remember…Benezia died _mewling_."

* * *

><p>Using her console remote, Shepard had put on some <em>Opus Ori<em>, the mellow blues unobtrusively filling the corners of the room. As she shifted back, Liara turned and snuggled against her side, draping one arm over her with a happy sigh.

"You awake?" Shepard asked. The asari had dozed off a little while before, and for a long time Shepard had only lain there, listening to her breathe.

"Mmmhmm," Liara murmured. "This is not…Flatwood?"

"This is _Opus Ori_," Shepard replied. "If it's too loud I can turn it off-"

"No, I like it. It is very soothing…comfortable."

They listened in silence for a while, Shepard's fingers trailing lightly up and down Liara's arm, the human woman lost in her own thoughts. After a bit, she softly began to sing under her breath, following along with the smoky voice of Jude Robinson, _Opus Ori's_ lead.

"_Love isn't hard, baby, take it slow…it sings in your heart, it melts in your soul…"_

"Shepard?" Liara whispered, shifting a little and lifting her head to meet the commander's eyes.

"Hmm?"

"I just wanted to tell you…that you were right," Liara murmured.

"Oh? Right about what?"

Giving a coy little smile, Liara leaned in close and whispered in the human woman's ear.

"_You sing horribly_."

Shepard gave a faint bark of fake indignation, Liara squealing out a giggle as the human woman lightly bit her shoulder.

"Oh, I do huh?"

"Should I be worried about your cannibalistic tendencies?" Liara teased, still giggling.

"It would only be cannibalistic if you were human too," Shepard shot back. Now it was Liara's turn to gasp in indignation, snatching up the second pillow and boffing it lightly over Shepard's face. Instantly it was an all out melee, one that ended quickly as the commander pinned her down.

She grinned, panting. "I win," she smirked.

"Only because you are a trained soldier and I am an archaeologist," Liara sniffed. As her wrists were released, Liara wound her arms around Shepard's shoulders. Settling back again, Shepard lightly kissed the side of the asari's neck.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"For what?" Liara asked.

"For being you," Shepard told her. "For helping me forget…everything."

Liara felt her cheeks heat again in a blush, and ducked her head under Shepard's chin, just snuggling close and holding her again.

Her head was still spinning with everything that had happened over the last few weeks. Who would have imagined the course her life would have taken, and so rapidly? It seemed only yesterday she had first landed on Therum…another lonely, dusty dig far away from other people, from the disapproval of her mother. It had been all she wanted in life, to study and learn, immersing herself so far into the past that the future seemed nothing but an abstract concept. She had neither wanted nor needed anything else.

She wanted to weep for the future _that_ Liara would have had, if Shepard had not come into her life. Even without Saren and the threat of the Reapers, she would have faced a long and solitary existence…never even knowing how it could have been, how this _felt_.

* * *

><p>The pair fell asleep not long afterward. Shepard woke up right on the dot, just before her console signaled 06:00. Resetting the alarm before it could actually buzz and wake Liara as well, Shepard gingerly shifted out of the bed so as not to disturb her. Padding into the shower, she washed up before moving back out into the room for clothes.<p>

Her uniform, last night so neatly folded at the foot of the bed, had been cast in a pile on the ground…along with what they had been wearing. Picking it up, Shepard ran her thumb over the N7 pin again, silent a moment. Re-folding the uniform she put it away, then picked up Liara's garments, folding them neatly and setting them on the chair.

Pulling on a pair of worn jeans and a black t-shirt, the only thing Shepard kept on that had any tie to the Alliance was her dog-tags.

Sitting at her console she quietly checked over the reports, but it wasn't long before she heard Liara stirring, and then the blankets softly casting back.

A few padded footsteps, then a pair of arms gently slid around her shoulders, Liara ducking down and lightly kissing her ear. Lifting a hand, Shepard stroked the arm draped around her, turning her head.

"Morning," she murmured. "I tried not to wake you. I need to head up to the CIC. You can use my shower if you want."

Liara nodded faintly. "How long until we reach Ilos?"

"Couple hours more," Shepard replied. "Get some breakfast, if you can, then head up to the CIC. We need to get a ground plan together."

Liara nodded, and then tightened her arms a little again. "Whatever happens, Shepard…"

"I know," Shepard murmured back.

The arms slid free, and a few moments later Shepard heard the shower start up. Finishing the reports she got to her feet, and strode out of the room.

_Here we go_.

* * *

><p>"Garrus! <em>Garrus<em>, I'm goddamn pinned down! I need that door open now!"

A thundering hail of gunfire slammed into the stone, making her duck back again as it tore up the edge of the statue she was huddled behind. She could hear, almost feel, the deep crunch of every footstep in the leaf-litter clogging the ruins, as the geth heavies moved insistently forward.

A rumbling belch, and blue plasma took off the head of the statue in an explosive shot, raining chunks of stone and dust down on her. If not for her hard-suit, she would have been seriously injured. Instinctively she hunched down further, then barked again, not even sure the turian was hearing her.

"_Garrus! I have no more time!"_

_{ssss-ssss-ssstt-five more-sssssss}_

Goddamn, she _hated_ this fucking planet.

Ilos was all but one big jungle, hot as fresh shit. If it weren't for their hard-suits, they'd all be boiling and nearly drowning in humidity. As well, something about these ruins played havoc with their communication, reducing most of it to unintelligible static.

_Something about the ruins…or else Saren set up signal dampeners throughout the complex._

They'd arrived in the system only to find an entire geth fleet orbiting Ilos. If it weren't for the _Normandy_'s stealth systems they would have been in a firefight of epic proportions…one which the small frigate would never have survived. As it was, they'd had to lurk a bit behind the moon just to be sure they weren't spotted, while they scanned the planet and tried to pinpoint Saren's landing zone.

This complex, incredibly old and vast and half-swallowed by the jungle, had turned out to be the site he'd put down in…and he'd apparently been there just long enough to spread out his troops and seal himself inside a massive bunker, leaving Shepard and her team exactly where she had feared to be- in the middle of shit-ton of geth trying frantically to find a way to unseal that bunker and get to Saren.

Three heavies had cornered them in this courtyard. Shepard and Williams had covered Garrus and Liara as they hacked open the door to what looked like some kind of control station. Together they'd taken out one of the heavies. As the door popped open, Shepard ordered the other three through as she laid down heavy fire to protect their retreat. No sooner had the three cleared the door, however, than it had suddenly slammed shut again and resealed…leaving Shepard in the courtyard on her own.

Now the trio was frantically trying to get the door open again before the heavies could turn their commander into ground meat.

Another heavy thump, and the second half of the statue erupted. A thick chunk of stone slammed down on Shepard's back. Despite her armor, she barked in pain at the impact, the white hot surge of agony slowly dying down as her suit flooded her with pain-killers.

Ducking around the swiftly diminishing statue, Shepard grimaced as she fired at the nearest heavy, seeking to take out a joint or hit something vital. She could see the flashes of sparks as her ordinance was deflected both by shields and heavy metal plate…no more to the heavies than the biting of gnats.

"Cocksucker!" she grumped as she ducked back again, just in time to avoid a blast taking her head off. Instead, it put a serious pit into the wall beside her.

Suddenly a hiss, and the door popped open. Shepard darted for it, Williams, Garrus and Liara opening fire on the heavy to distract it. The moment she ducked into safety, the turian kicked the ancient door panel with a furious slam of his foot. The door whisked shut again, and sealed.

"That was fun," Shepard panted, stretching her neck, testing the ache in her back. Not too bad. She'd probably only be bruised. "How about we _don't_ do that again?"

"Skipper, this seems to be some kind of control hub," Williams reported. "I scouted around while Vakarian worked on the door, took out a pair of those leaping monkey assholes. There's devices upstairs that might be computer consoles of some kind. This may be what we're looking for."

"It would explain why the heavies were concentrated here," Shepard agreed. As she stepped past Garrus she slapped his shoulder lightly in gratitude, a silent thank-you. Heading up the moss-coated stairs to the small second floor, she could see what Ashley was referring to.

The walls were coated with moss and creepers of various kinds, leaves and vines making curtains draping from the ceiling. Several strange looking devices lined the walls, a central pad surrounded by carved runes seated in the center of the floor.

Stepping up to one of the devices, Williams peeled back a little moss, wiping her fingers over the stone. "There's writing carved here. I can make out some characters."

Liara headed forward. "If we can secure this building for a few minutes, I can probably decipher-"

"Decipher what?" Shepard asked, glancing at the writing that Ashley had cleared. "Here, this is power."

Grasping hold of a strange protrusion she drew it down firmly. A faint hum began, and slowly the consoles lit, flickering holographic interfaces brightening.

"Oh, and this is the AI," Shepard stated, activating the command.

"How did you-?" Williams began, puzzled, then looked over her shoulder as the central pad lit up, static and flashing lights swirling over it.

"That's their AI?" Garrus asked. "Please tell me the Protheans didn't look like that."

"No, they did not," Liara murmured. "It seems to be badly damaged."

"It's spouting gibberish," Williams lamented, noting the garbled sounds erupting from the pad.

Shepard hauled off her helmet, ignoring the way the wet heat seemed to slap her in the face. She stepped closer to the AI, turning one ear closer to it. "It's talking about the Conduit," she said. "I can barely make it out, it's faint…"

"What?" Ashley did the same, pulling off her helmet and leaning closer, struggling to listen. "All I hear sounds like a varren with peanut butter in its mouth."

"Yes, I see," Liara suddenly blinked, eyes widening. "Shepard, the Cipher. It imparted to you the knowledge of what it was to be Prothean, do you recall?"

"How could I forget? It wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience I've ever had."

"That knowledge would have included an understanding of the Prothean language. That is how you could read the console, and how you can understand what this AI is saying."

"Well, interesting as that is, it's not saying much," Shepard sighed. "I get the word 'conduit' over and over again, and something about 'opening the doorway' and 'archives' but…beyond that it's just garbled static."

Abandoning the AI, Shepard moved over and scrutinized the consoles again, before entering a set of commands. "I think I isolated the lockdown for that bunker. It's going to take a minute…this equipment is so goddamn degraded-"

A low rumble echoed through the floor beneath their feet.

"Sounds like those heavies are getting ready to tear the place down," Williams noted. "We'd better hurry."

Isolating the lockdown sequence, Shepard quickly programmed it into her omni-tool, just as the ground rumbled again. Cracks appeared in the ceiling, dust sifting down as the curtains of vegetation swayed ominously.

"Down the stairs and to the west, there's another small door leading under that wall we saw and back to the first courtyard near the MAKO," Shepard barked, switching off her omni-tool and pointing. "Move it!"

This time as the heavies hit the front of the building, the whole structure seemed sway. The stairs already slick with moss, Liara couldn't keep her footing. She slipped and nearly went down. Garrus caught hold of her, hefting her clear off her feet and all but throwing her down the remaining two or three steps. Shepard leapt forward off the stairs as they twisted and collapsed beneath her, landing awkwardly near where Liara was pushing herself up. Grabbing hold of the asari she helped her to her feet and urged her on.

The door was almost hidden by the encroaching vegetation. Garrus ripped a huge sheet of moss off of it just as the world behind them seemed to implode, the building collapsing in a torrential roar of rock. As Shepard shoved Williams into the door alcove Liara turned and flung up her hands.

The biotic shield created a bubble around the edge of the alcove, holding the six metric tons of rock and debris and keeping it from crushing them. On one knee, she clenched her eyes shut, arms trembling.

"I cannot hold it long," she warned. Garrus continued working on the console, glancing over as the door broke loose…about an inch.

"The mechanism is too damaged, it won't open any further," he said, striding to the door and digging his fingers into the small space, grimacing as he tried to force it. Shipping her weapon Ashley took the opposite door, straining as she tried to force it back.

"Liara?"

"Only…a few more minutes, Commander," Liara replied, her voice tense. Shepard moved in to Ashley's side, digging her own hands in and adding her strength to the effort.

Slowly, the door shifted back another inch, then two more. As soon as it was wide enough, Shepard levered an arm into the gap, set her shoulder back against the edge, bracing her feet and then heaved, every muscle straining.

With a groan, and the gritty crunch of gearwork clogged with dirt, the door forced back enough for them to slip through. Keeping herself braced to hold it, she nodded at Ashley, who quickly wedged it so it wouldn't slam shut again. Straightening, Shepard urged the chief and the turian through the opening, then turned back toward Liara, who was noticeably trembling. Without warning she grabbed the asari around the waist and bodily lifted her, retreating through the gap and pulling Liara with her as the biotic field died, the freed debris crashing down.

Falling backward, Shepard landed on the ground inside a narrow little tunnel, Liara spilling on top of her. As she caught her breath she asked, "You ok? Everyone five-by?"

"F-fine, Commander," Liara replied weakly. "A bit strained, but I'm all right."

"We're fine, Skipper," Williams sounded amused as she shined her omni-light down on the pair. "If you want, Vakarian and I can go down the tunnel for a bit, give you some privacy."

"Wh-what?" Liara stammered, confused. Shepard grimaced.

"Ha. Ha. If we weren't already going to be court-martialed I'd bust you down to FNG for that, Chief."

Ashley smirked as she helped Liara up, steadying her as Shepard got to her feet, lighting her own omni-light. Garrus had gone a few feet further down, scanning carefully, weapon ready.

"Looks clear, Commander," he reported.

"Let's hope it stays that way, fucker already has enough of a head-start on us."

The four started down the tunnel at a swift walk, weapons up. Liara seemed to steady a bit more after a few minutes, her stance just as determined as the others. Garrus, the tallest of the group, had to duck his head a little to avoid the tunnel roof and occasional little offshoots of stone.

It did not take long before they spotted daylight, and nothing appeared to confront them. Drawing her sniper, Shepard crouched and moved to the tunnel exit, quickly scanning the surrounding area through the scope.

"Clear," she said after a moment. "I can see the MAKO about a hundred yards north-east. No sign of geth, but keep your eyes and ears peeled."

The MAKO was parked only a few yards in front of a massive set of doors…doors so big the _Normandy_ herself could almost have passed through them. As they reached the side of the rover, sparking no attack or incident, Shepard tried to hail the ship again.

"_Normandy_, this is Shepard. We have access to the bunker and are entering. Do you read me?"

_{ssshhhsssssttttt-barely hear-ssssshtttt}_

"We're still getting a lot of interference, Commander," Williams shook her head. "We may lose communication altogether once we go in there."

"There's no helping it, unless we come across what is damping our signal," Shepard shook her head, accessing the lockdown sequence. "Let's hope _this_ works, at least."

Sending the sequence, she grinned as the doors let out a low hum and began to part.

"Fuckin' _oorah_," she barked. "Everyone in the MAKO. Ash, take the turret and be prepared for heat…knowing Saren this is about to get less easy."

"This has been _easy_?" Garrus asked dryly, shaking his head as he climbed in the rover. "If so, I don't want to see your idea of 'difficult'."

Liara took navigation again, shedding her helmet and wiping a trembling hand over her head. As Shepard started up the MAKO she half-glanced over. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yes," Liara replied. "Just do not ask me to catch any more falling buildings for a while, Shepard."

The enormous doors finished opening, and Shepard gunned the MAKO, the rover surging forward and into the bunker.

There was a sharp slope, the MAKO's lights the only source of light as they rumbled down into the darkness. Only the same moss-covered rocks and even tunnel walls greeted them. Liara, fixed on the radar and infrared, shook her head slightly.

"I am seeing no life or heat signatures," she said. "The slope continues another four hundred yards, and then it looks like there is another door."

"Please tell me it's open."

"It appears so, yes. I cannot see much of what is beyond it, however."

They rumbled down, down, deeper into the ground. Shepard supposed it was a good thing she wasn't claustrophobic. She'd seen young marines wig out when a previously unknown fear had suddenly reared its head. The gas-box was notorious for bringing out any hidden fear of confined spaces, and of course the first jump-trial always showed who sported an unknown terror of heights. One boy in her unit had screamed and pissed himself when he'd stood in the open door of the jump-ship, dressed in a glide-suit and expected to leap nearly a thousand feet on a target jump. He hadn't lasted, but Shepard hadn't even hesitated at the lip of the door, leaping out into the open air as eagerly and gracefully as any Olympiad doing a swan-dive.

As for the gas-box, that wiped out more FNG's than the glide-suits did. Shepard had stumbled out of the gas-box after the full five minutes…puking, of course, like everyone did, eyes on fire and streaming tears. That was the gas they pumped the box full of. Tear gas. They did that so you knew how it felt, so you could learn to function, to do your mission, even with lungs full of fire and eyes full of tears. The box itself, a small structure no bigger than a goddamn coffin stood on end…_that_ was cake. Shepard could have slept in the damn thing and woken up well-rested.

The ground leveled out at the same time light suddenly appeared, growing slowly but steadily banishing the darkness. They passed through an archway, and Shepard blinked with a low whistle.

The structure sailed into the distance, a series of slopes continuing to move it deeper into the ground. The ceiling was barely visible, easily five hundred feet above them. Gentle golden light, nearly of the same quality as sunlight, rained down in lightly shimmering shafts. Strange ovoid structures filled the walls, thousands of them in even ranks. They had an oddly biological look to them, like they had been both built and grown.

"This is…_incredible_, Shepard," Liara said breathlessly, staring. "I have never seen…in all my research…"

"Gotta hand it to those Protheans," Garrus murmured. "They certainly had a sense of _presentation_."

Shepard had slowed the MAKO a little, taking in the room, but she dared not dawdle long. As soon as she was clear on the road ahead she put her foot down, the MAKO swiftly reaching its top speed. "Li, any sign of geth?"

"Oh, uh…nothing yet," Liara replied, tearing her eyes away from the splendor around her and turning her attention back to the infrared. "It is strange, I was expecting there to be an ambush."

"Saren was probably in too much of a hurry, trusting the door and his forces outside to delay us long enough," Garrus replied.

"That, or we haven't gotten to it yet," Ashley agreed. Peering through the turret viewport she shook her head. "What do you think those things on the wall are?"

"They look like stasis pods, or some kind of cryogenic containers," Liara stated. "The zmerik have similar structures they use for funerary purposes, to preserve their deceased."

"Yeah, _that's_ fuckin' creepy," Shepard grunted.

"This, however, was most likely an attempt to preserve at least some of their race," Liara continued. "An attempt to hide in seclusion from the Reapers' destructive force. Not so much to keep the dead but to secret the living, hold them in stasis, unnoticed, until the threat passed. These pods are all dormant, however…I am showing no trace of power to any of them. If they were alive when they were sealed within, they are now all dead. This bunker has become one great mausoleum."

"Depending on how deep this place goes, there could be millions- _fuck_!"

Shepard suddenly, quite literally, stood up on the brake as a shimmering curtain of amber suddenly fell down not ten yards ahead of the MAKO. Treads chewing through moss and then squealing on stone, the MAKO bowed forward, throwing everyone against their restraints as it tried to stop.

There was a faint bump as the MAKOs nose tapped the curtain, spreading a ripple of energy along its length, before it fell still. Growling, Shepard slammed the vehicle into reverse and hit the gas, drawing away from the curtain.

"No, _stop_!" Liara called out as an energy reading on the infrared spiked. "Another just appeared behind us!"

Shepard hit the brake again, halting the rover. Liara shook her head. "We are completely blocked in."

"Ash, light it up," Shepard barked.

"Aye ma'am," the gunnery chief flipped a switch and tightened her grip on the turret cannon, which fired a breath later. The plasma shot slammed into the barrier ahead of them, sending even more wild ripples through it, sparks of energy flaring in a mad mosaic before settling again.

"Not even a minor fluctuation in the barrier curtain's power level," Liara lamented, watching her read-outs. "We cannot take it out with our ordinance. We are trapped."

"How did Saren get hold of technology like this?" Garrus snapped angrily. "Reaper tech, maybe?"

"I'm not convinced this is Saren's doing," Shepard replied. "He'd have trapped us in here with a dozen heavies to take us out. Those curtains have to have a power source somewhere. Let's see if we can't find it."

Climbing out of the MAKO she let her eyes travel up the curtain to where it vanished at the distant roofline. Her gut had never before failed her, and it was telling her this was someone _other_ than Saren.

Question was, _who_?

As the others piled out she pointed at the walls to either side. "Full scans along every inch. See if you can find any trace of a power conduit or-"

"I do not think that will be necessary," Liara said, pointing as the others looked at her. A section of the wall was sliding away, an opening appearing where none had been before. Shepard drew her pistol cautiously, gesturing at Williams to move right as she went left. Both flanking the opening, Shepard carefully peered inward.

"Looks like some kind of…lift, maybe?" she murmured, relaxing as she saw no enemy, no trace of threat.

"Do we take it?"Garrus asked.

"I don't see we got much choice, Skipper," Williams noted. "The power source for the barrier may be down there, or a way around it."

"I don't like it," Shepard murmured softly. As Liara touched her shoulder she shook her head. "We're being _herded_, Tianlán."

"What do we do?" Liara asked.

Shepard's eyes narrowed at the lift, and she pursed her lips before straightening. "You three stay with the MAKO," she ordered. "If the lift goes anywhere useful I'll come back up and retrieve you."

"What?" Liara's blue eyes blinked in shock, then went stormy. "You are _not_ going alone!"

"That's an order, _T'Soni_," Shepard returned. Liara straightened, squaring her shoulders and folding her arms.

"I am not one of your soldiers, _Shepard_," she retorted sternly.

"Liara, you're staying _here_," Shepard snapped hotly, eyes flashing. "I swear to God I will _put your ass on the ground_ if I have to!"

The asari suddenly lit up with biotics, her gaze narrowing dangerously. "It _is_ possible to halt the great Commander Shepard," she warned.

"Uh, guys? Let's just relax a second," Ashley interjected, holding up her hands. Garrus smirked.

"No, don't stop them, I want to see this," he joked.

"Skipper, no offense, but I have to agree with Liara on this one," Williams continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Going down alone is risky. Besides, Liara knows more about the Protheans than anyone. At the very least take _her_ with you."

Shepard glowered, then turned and headed for the lift. "Come on," she barked. "We're wasting time. You two, keep the MAKO hot and ready to roll the second we get back to you."

"Aye, ma'am," Williams said, breathing out a sigh of relief. Liara's biotics faded as the asari strode after the commander.

As they entered the small lift, the doors automatically rattled closed. They could hear the grind of machinery deep below them a moment before the lift jolted and began to move.

"Don't you _ever _do that again!" Shepard growled at Liara, fury in her voice as she pointed at the asari's face. "Soldier or not, if you want to tag-along then you will at least _act_ like one! If I give a command I expect to be _obeyed_!"

Arching a brow, Liara reached up and grasped Shepard's hand, drawing it downward. Meeting her eyes without shame or fear she said, "I know you want to keep us, _me_, safe, Shepard," she said gently. "Please, let us return the favor…and maybe we can _all_ go home alive. We are fighting this battle together, and you must let us stand together."

Brows knit still in anger, Shepard drew her hand away and turned around, cracking her neck side to side with a frustrated huff. Liara said nothing. She knew how strongly Shepard felt about keeping her crew safe. It was her duty as a commander to do everything she could to that end…and not just as a soldier. Shepard saw what had happened to Paul as a failure on her end, a failure to keep him safe. All those names listed on that drawing…those were all weight she carried on her shoulders. Shepard's anger was only out of fear…fear that Garrus, or Ashley, or Liara would be the next names on that list.

Despite that, she also had to understand that she was not alone any longer. This was not her burden to bear by herself, not her mission to complete on her own. She had to learn to rely on them, to rely on _Liara_. She _had_ to let go.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Woohoo, nearly done! One more chapter after this should do it...though it may be a tad longer than the last few have been :D So yeah...tomorrow should mark the end of Dark Energy number one! Thursday I will start DE2 as a seperate story file, so keep your eyes out for that. Friday and Monday I am gone from work so after Thursday there MAY not be any more updates until Tuesday, but we'll see what happens. Now, on we go!

* * *

><p>The lift shuddered, and then seemed to slow. As it did Shepard drew her rifle, moving to one side of the door. Liara echoed her motion, both women staying out of line of sight just in case something opened fire the moment the doors parted.<p>

Like the trembling death throes of some enormous beast, the lift shook weakly and gave out a long groan as it settled into its bed, falling still. A moment later the doors rumbled open.

Nothing happened.

Moving carefully, Shepard silently glanced around. Only an empty room, dimly lit. Not lowering her rifle she edged out of the lift, quickly turning to the left to make sure no one was hiding in that blind spot.

"Clear, Shepard," Liara murmured as she checked the right.

There was no place for anyone to hide, not unless they were the size of a grasshopper. There were no other doors besides the lift they just exited. The only features in the room were more of those old, moss-covered consoles and a pad on the ground.

Lowering her rifle but not shipping it just yet, Shepard took off her helmet, setting it down. "Do a scan," she ordered. "I'm going to see if these consoles work. Someone wanted us down here. There's got to be a reason."

As she approached the console a sudden flare of light lifted in the room. Instinctively turning, she lifted her rifle instantly…then lowered it again. The pad was powering up, strange dances of light and static appearing over it.

Another AI, and just as damaged as the first one. Instead of faint, broken words however, this time a very clear voice emerged.

"Please. Do not be afraid."

Exchanging confused glances with Liara, Shepard stepped over to it. "Are you the one that brought us down here?"

"Yes. My name is Vigil," the AI responded.

"Shepard, I can understand it," Liara said in wonder. "It is not speaking Prothean."

"I have been monitoring your progress through the complex," Vigil explained. "I have compiled an understanding of your language from the exchanges I have overheard, in order to communicate fully with you."

"Why have you brought us down here?" Shepard asked. "Is it you who is blocking communication with our ship?"

"Yes," Vigil admitted. "I have dampened communication, not to isolate you from your ship, but to isolate the other from effectively coordinating with his own forces. Unfortunately I could not disrupt the one without disrupting the other."

"You mean Saren. You were trying to hobble him."

"Yes. But you are different. You and your people do not have the taint of indoctrination upon you. I must tell you what we have done."

Shepard listened, arms folded and a scowl on her face, as the AI explained the fate of the Protheans. The Reapers, he said, had taken them utterly by surprise and systematically, over a period of centuries, eliminated every Prothean they could find. He told of the efforts to hide some of their number, their top scientists, in this complex in an attempt to both preserve the species and to put a halt to the cycle of destruction the Reapers wrought every fifty millennia.

When he explained how he had been forced to shut down the stasis pods outside over time to preserve power, Shepard could see Liara's eyes gloss over, the woman's jaw tightening.

"You just killed them all?" she asked angrily.

"It was necessary, and expected by the Protheans who went into stasis," Vigil said calmly. "Had I not taken that action, then there would be no hope for your species now."

"And what is this 'hope'?" Shepard asked. "Just telling us the Prothean's story doesn't get us any closer to stopping Saren and the Reapers."

"The Citadel is an enormous mass relay," Vigil told her. "It is the way that the Reapers enter the galaxy from dark space. They appear and attack from nowhere, eliminating heads of government before the rest of the galaxy even knows they are under attack. They use the vast computer system to gather every saved piece of intel about sentient species…colonies, numbers, fleets, locations, strategic and census data. With this information they isolate worlds and begin their systematic elimination. The Reapers use a signal that is sent to the Keepers. When this signal comes, the Keepers open the relay and the Reapers come through. This time, when the signal was sent, the Keepers ignored it."

"Why was it ignored?"

"The few scientists I managed to preserve were not enough to maintain a viable population," Vigil stated. "However they were able to access the Citadel systems and 'condition' the Keepers to ignore the Reaper's signal, to prevent a similar sneak attack from occurring again. They worked diligently to ensure that the Reaper's cycle could finally be stopped. Their efforts may be what saves you and your people."

"What is the Conduit? A weapon of some kind?" Shepard asked.

"No. When the Reapers appeared, the Protheans were on the verge of unlocking their technology. They managed to create a small mass relay that links directly to the Citadel. It is a back door onto the station. It is located here, in this complex. If your indoctrinated enemy reaches it, he will be able to open the Citadel relay manually, and the Reapers will enter. However, the Protheans prepared for this scenario as well. In my console is a data file that will allow you to take control of the Citadel station when it is input into the central terminal. You can use it to ensure that the relay is not opened, and the Reapers will be trapped in dark space."

Shepard moved to the console and immediately began accessing it, swiftly locating the data and entering the sequences into her omni-tool. "Vigil, I need you to unlock communications," Shepard told it.

"If I unlock communications, your indoctrinated enemy will be able to coordinate his machines once again."

"I know, but there's no way around that. I need to speak to my ship."

"I will do so."

"C'mon, Liara," Shepard closed her omni-tool and strode purposefully toward the lift.

"What about Vigil?" Liara asked, trotting after her. "The information it holds-"

"Is not important right now. We have to move or a fuck of a lot of people are going to die."

* * *

><p>"Captain Anderson, we understand the connection you hold with your former crew member," Tevos stated evenly, her blue eyes resting on the man standing stiffly before them. Neatly pressed in his uniform, Anderson looked calm, resigned. "However this act is highly unacceptable, not only to your Alliance but to this Council."<p>

"It's treason, is what it is," Udina snapped hotly from nearby. His left eye had been treated but was still surrounded by a riot of bruised flesh…a memento from Anderson's little escapade in his office.

"I know, and I accept the consequences of my actions," Anderson replied.

"Even though those actions may result in execution?" Tevos asked. "Captain, Commander Shepard is a formidable warrior with a keen ability…that is why we chose her to be a Spectre. I understand that you are close to her, however even you must admit that she is not entirely stable. Her willingness to believe these tales of Saren's, myths and lies with no basis in fact, only demonstrate just how unstable she is. It is deeply troubling that she has fallen in with these tales, and more troubling that you as well seem to be taking them to heart."

"I have known Shepard a long time," Anderson retorted. "It's true, she has a temper…she has her scars, her demons…there isn't a marine out there who doesn't. But one thing she is _not_ is a fool. She's worked hard to get where she is, Councilor. She has shed more than her fair share of blood, sweat, and tears for her uniform, her career. They are everything to her. The fact that she is so willing to give up _everything_ she has fought for and face ridicule and a firing squad should be proof enough for you. These Reapers are _real_. They will destroy everything, everyone. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye, not now."

"You are hardly in a position to tell us what we can and cannot afford, Anderson," Udina snapped. "A security escort from the Alliance is on its way now to take you back to Earth for court-martial. If Shepard or a single member of her crew show their face in Citadel space again, the same will be waiting for them. We must show that no one, not a decorated marine, not even a Council Spectre, is completely exempt from justice. And if I hear one more word about this Reaper poppycock-!"

_{Councilor Tevos!}_

A form shimmered and then coalesced over the nearby pad, an asari woman appearing. Tevos lifted a brow, sitting back a little as she recognized her…one of the few people who could send an instant communication to her offices without waiting for acknowledgement.

"Lidanya? What is-"

_{There is no time, ma'am, we are under attack! A fleet of geth ships has just cleared the relay, that dreadnought Sovereign is leading them. They are easily four times our number. We have lost six turian and four asari cruisers already.}_

"Shepard told you this attack was coming," Anderson snapped, a breath before the station alarms started blaring. Tevos stood up as Avina appeared on all monitors.

"Warning. Hostile life-forms are advancing throughout the station. Civilians please return to your homes. Warning."

_{We need to evacuate you immediately, ma'am,}_ Lidanya said sternly. _{We are showing increasing numbers of geth on the station itself. Several are entering the tower. You and the rest of the Council must evacuate to the Ascension immediately!}_

* * *

><p>"In the MAKO!" Shepard barked the instant the lift doors parted, jogging out with Liara at her side. Garrus and Ashley immediately straightened and climbed in the vehicle, the other two entering a moment later.<p>

"The barrier curtain is dropping," Liara panted, checking the infrared even as she slammed the door behind her.

Barely waiting to close her own door, Shepard hit the gas and the MAKO rumbled forward. Reaching up she activated her two-way. "Joker! This is Shepard. Report!"

_{Hearing you loud and clear, ma'am,}_ Joker replied instantly, no trace of static distorting his words. _{We are still lurking behind the moon, but whatever you did down there seems to have stirred the pot. The geth fleet is bugging out, hitting the relay out of here as fast as they can move, and Sovereign led the charge.}_

"They're hitting the Citadel! As soon as they clear I want you to take the _Normandy_ and go to the fifth fleet. Tell Hackett the Citadel is under massive attack and we need reinforcements there _yesterday_."

_{What about your-}_

"You have your orders, Joker! Move your ass!"

She cut the communications, urging every bit of speed she could out of the snarling MAKO.

"Shepard, if the _Normandy_ leaves, how are we getting off-world?" Garrus asked.

"We have our own way," Shepard replied. "Williams, keep 'em peeled, things are going to get hot really fast, and I can't afford to slow down. Take out what you can but be prepared, I'm going to run right over anything that gets in the way."

"Aye, ma'am."

"You wanna tell us what's going on?" Garrus pressed.

"We found an AI," Liara told him. "It explained much to us, but the short version is the Conduit is a relay that connects to the Citadel directly…most likely that small relay 'sculpture' on the Presidium is actually a functioning mechanism. Saren is using it to pour his geth troops directly onto the station in an attempt to bring in the Reaper fleet."

"The Citadel itself is a massive relay linking to where the Reapers are waiting in dark space," Shepard added. "If Saren succeeds the galaxy is utterly fucked."

"Jesus," Ashley breathed. "That relay sculpture is right at the foot of the Council tower! They'll be wiped out in minutes."

"Which is why I can't stop," Shepard barked back. "I'm driving this goddamn MAKO right through the Conduit if I have to!"

* * *

><p>With a faint grunt of effort, Yoh dragged the unconscious turian woman back a bit more, against the wall and out of sight. Respirator puffing, the little volus gingerly checked the wound on her head, then edged around to peer out of the elevator alcove.<p>

Avina, the station's AI, was malfunctioning, spinning in place and flickering as she spouted nonsense. To his right, a squad of synthetics was striding along steadily, ignoring the fallen all around them unless someone moved. Then, they put a bullet in their brain.

To the left, yet more were approaching, a turian striding at their fore. He looked intent, deadly…a revenant of death leading his valkyries to the slaughter.

And he was heading right toward Yoh.

Gripping the small automatic pistol in his hand tightly, Yoh weighed his options. He could not take on all of them at once, and given the faint shimmer when he walked, the turian had shields…shields that this pistol wouldn't penetrate without two or three good shots. With luck, he might have time to squeeze off _one_.

Glancing worriedly toward the unconscious woman beside him, Yoh edged back behind a planter, doing his best to remain small and silent. The synthetics had been ignoring the unconscious so long as they were still…he prayed they would ignore her as well.

Knowing it was a risk…but as well a dead giveaway…Yoh reached around behind his suit and shut off his respirator. It fell silent just as the turian and his geth approached the elevator doors and paused.

"You two, keep this area secure," the turian ordered gruffly. "The rest of you, with me."

Two of the troopers lingered, the rest following the turian into the elevator, the lift whisking them away up the tower. As he'd hoped, they ignored the limp female as if she wasn't there.

Yoh didn't have much time. He had less than a minute before he _had_ to turn the respirator back on…and two troopers armed with assault rifles only a couple of feet away.

Then, a noise…loud and sudden, making the very ground shake. He saw blue flashing lights as the two troopers stepped forward, turning their back on him as they looked out into the Presidium. He didn't dare wait any longer.

Straightening and stepping out from behind the pot, Yoh aimed and fired, planting a bullet in the lower back joint of the first synthetic. The shot was all but lost in the ongoing roar, but the trooper collapsed, white fluid spitting over the front of Yoh's suit as it twisted, trying to lift its rifle toward him. He fired again, and that bright little light that made up its face popped in a flare of broken glass. As it died, the second synthetic half turned, realizing what was going on.

Desperately, Yoh lunged forward, grabbing the rifle the first had dropped. Turning, he barely missed a shot that slapped into the ground…and would have ruptured his suit had it connected. Swinging the rifle as hard as he could, he slammed the synthetic in the legs, right behind its knees. It buckled, falling. Before it could recover he unloaded three shots into its head, then frantically reached behind himself and switched his respirator on again.

Sweet relief! Huffing a little, his head swimming a bit, he regarded the two dead synthetics, then looked out to see where the noise was coming from.

The relay sculpture was alive with light, sending arcs of plasma static high into the air. Wincing back a little, he blinked as something zipped out of the ether and slammed hard into the Presidium floor. As it bounced back up into the air, tumbling end over end, he realized it was a vehicle of some kind, a type of armored transport.

As it flipped it smashed two synthetics as they stood gaping…as much as anything without a mouth _could_ gape, he supposed. Squealing in a slide, it sent up sparks before it rammed into the wall and fell still, treads still faintly spinning.

For a moment, all was silent. Then the synthetic troops began to run forward, weapons lifting…just as the dented door of the vehicle began to open.

* * *

><p>Gritting her teeth, Shepard lifted her feet again and slammed them into the door of the now upside down MAKO. The landing had been less than gentle, and the cabin was rapidly filling with smoke. Thanks to their restraints no one had been seriously injured but the bone-jarring ride was not one she ever wanted to repeat.<p>

Another kick, and the damage door popped open.

Ashley climbed out of the turret seat, a blade in her hand. Grabbing the restraints holding Garrus in, she sliced through them, then turned to help Liara, who was struggling with her own.

"Out!" Shepard said, twisting around to grab Liara, bracing her as the woman shifted and then all but shoving her through the open door. Turning back she did the same with Ashley and Garrus…and then heard gunfire.

Sliding out herself she had her rifle in her hand in a heartbeat, but never had a chance to fire it. Four dead geth lay scattered only a few feet away. As she took in the sight, lifting her own weapon to aim, a fifth and a sixth whined and collapsed, bullets tearing through their chests from behind.

As she and the others rose to their feet, a form carrying an assault rifle toddled out of the smoke.

"Is that a _volus_?" Garrus blurted, shocked.

Ashley pulled her helmet off, squinting before she blinked. "It's that messenger…Etat. Yoh Etat."

"My lady," the volus straightened as he recognized her too, before sketching a sweeping but short little bow. "I knew fate would bring us together again."

"Where'd you learn how to shoot like that?"

"We are not all bankers and stock brokers, delicious one," he chortled. "That was quite a spectacular entrance…not that I'd expect anything less from a wonder such as yourself."

"Yeah, I remember him now," Shepard said dryly. "Yoh, did you see a turian? Probably with a shit-load more of the geth?"

"Geth? Is that what these synthetics are? Huh…" He nudged a dead one with his foot. "I expected something a lot tougher. Well, hmm. Oh, yes. Yes, there was a turian. I saw him just a few minutes ago. He went this way."

Turning, he started off back the way he'd come, Shepard and company following, doing their best to shake out any bumps and aches the hard landing had caused.

As the volus entered the alcove for the tower elevator, Ashley lifted her brows at the two dead geth crumpled there. "Did you kill these two also?" she asked.

"Oh. Yes. I had too. The turian left them behind to guard."

Garrus, having seen the unconscious woman, moved over and checked her vitals. "She's alive. Bad hit to the head."

"Her name is Vika," Yoh supplied. "We were having dinner, when this strange attack hit."

"She was your _date_?" Ashley blurted out. When Yoh looked up at her she colored a little. "I'm sorry, that was incredibly rude…"

"I know it shall be hard for you, my darling," he answered with amusement. "It must break your heart, seeing me with another woman, but…jealousy does not become you."

Ashley could only blink, flabbergasted.

"_Concentrate_, Yoh," Shepard barked impatiently. "The turian went up the elevator? Into the tower?"

"Yes, with several more geth."

Liara slapped the elevator call, the car whisking down and the doors opening only a few moments later. Surprisingly, it was empty.

"Let's go," Shepard ordered, and as her team piled in she looked at the volus. "Can you make sure no geth come up after us?"

"You…trust me to keep this area secure?" he asked, sounding genuinely bewildered. He had clearly learned some time ago to address what he saw as ridicule from other species with his over-the-top bravado…but had no idea how to address actual _respect_.

"You took out those geth after we crashed. I know marines who don't have that much guts. Can you keep this lift secure for me, Yoh?"

"I…of course, commander. Not a single synthetic shall set foot on it after you, I swear."

Shepard turned and headed into the lift to join the others. As the door slid shut and the car whisked its way upward, Yoh blinked again, then moved over and sat down beside the still unconscious turian. Reaching out he pat her hand lightly.

"No worries my dear. I'll keep you safe. Though, it _is_ a pity you missed that. I was pretty incredible."

* * *

><p>Never before had the tower lift seemed so slow. None of the four spoke as they sailed upward, the tension in the air all but palpable. Shepard felt a light touch on her elbow and glanced over, nodding slightly at Liara in what she hoped was reassurance. Every fiber of her being was urging her to hurry up, go <em>faster<em>...and she couldn't.

_Just center yourself. Focus your energies on what's going to happen when those doors open. Focus-_

The lift suddenly halted, jolting enough to stumble them all on their feet. Shepard cursed as the controls turned red, but smacked them anyway.

"Fuck, he's locked down the lifts," she snarled. There was no way to hack them from inside. Glancing around, she noted there was no hatch, either.

Glass. The entire back of the elevator was glass.

"Fasten down, we're going outside," she ordered, reaching up and locking her helmet down, sealing the hard-suit completely. Thus sealed, the hard-suits were completely contained, allowing a soldier to even walk around in a complete vacuum if need be…so long as they had oxygen. The generation units on their backs would provide enough to last for hours, provided they weren't damaged.

"Locked," Williams replied first, Garrus and Liara repeating the word a moment later.

As Shepard took aim at the glass another, much heavier rumble shook the tower, making the lift sway a little.

"What was that?" Williams asked, looking upward as if she could see the cause through steel and plastic.

"An explosion, maybe?" Garrus replied.

"Felt different than a blast would," Williams shook her head.

Shepard snapped her rifle back up to her shoulder. "Venting," she barked, a breath before she fired.

The glass shattered, and there was a sudden if short lived rush of wind as the air in the lift blew outward into the vacuum.

Moving to the edge of the lift, Shepard hopped out. The moment her helmet had been locked down, small electro-magnets in the treads of her boots had powered on. As she hopped, the magnets immediately pulled her feet to the side of the tower wall, taking over where gravity was more or less non-existent. She was facing down the tower, a thousand feet of distance between her and the Presidium. As she turned around she noted the Citadel arms had been shut…Saren hadn't been able to stop _that_, at least. Good, it would secure against the-

She stopped, her breath catching for a moment as she completed her turn, looking 'up' toward the council chambers. Another thousand feet of tower stretched before those chambers, but it wasn't the distance that halted her.

It was Sovereign.

The Reaper was clinging to the top of the tower, a looming monstrosity of steel and malevolence, impossibly huge.

The second jolt they'd felt had been the ship latching on, using the tower as some kind of landing prop.

_For all we know, that's what the tower was originally designed for…a landing support for these things. Saren was the one that closed the arms of the station…to keep the fleets out and away from the Reaper._

_{By the Goddess…}_ Liara's voice piped over her HUD as the other three joined her on the side of the spire.

"Come on, we have no time. We need to get up to the council chambers and find Saren before that thing can open the station relay."

They headed forward at as fast a jog as they dared. Pushing too hard would break the false gravity of their boot magnets and they'd find themselves floating helplessly .

* * *

><p>Dead eyes stared upward, the gaping tear of a ruined throat still glistening wetly. Marine boots strode over the body, tread pressing down into the pool of blood and then trailing smears of it behind.<p>

Shepard had no time for the dead. There was little enough time left for the living. Ahead, she could see Saren, at last. The turian was standing at a huge holographic display, there on the same promontory where the Councilors usually stood as they passed their petty, blind judgments on self-involved, naïve creatures…creatures lost in a lie of safety and self-confidence.

The safety had vanished, the self-confidence bled out into puddles on the ground. The chambers were filled with clouds of gray smoke, a dozen small fires burning. Corpses of humans and turians, of asari and hanar, littered the ground. Collapsed over the steps were geth troopers, as placid and uncaring in their synthetic death as they had been in their abomination of a life.

Taking the last steps two at a time, Shepard charged toward the turian, lifting her rifle. Even as she did so, Saren casually stepped off the promontory and fell, vanishing.

She heard the hum of his mobile platform and gestured swiftly at the others to take cover. Even as she did, he sailed upward into the air, a grenade lobbing toward them.

They scattered, leaping out of the way as it exploded. Shepard felt the sudden shove of the shock wave and crashed into a planter, only her helmet keeping her skull from staving in on the stonework edge. Quickly rolling and ducking behind it, she did a swift visual check, making sure the others were all right.

"You missed, Saren!" she called out. She couldn't see him from this vantage, but could hear the platform's low buzz.

"It's done, Shepard!" Saren called back. "Surrender, and you and your crewmates might live."

"Fuck you!"

"Have sense," he snarled. Risking a glance, she peered around the planter and spotted him some distance away. He was just hovering there, making no move toward them. "Sovereign is just a vanguard. There are thousands waiting, even stronger…we cannot stand against them! Our only hope is to join with them, Shepard. Sovereign has promised you leniency if you surrender. It needs people like us. You have impressed it."

"I'm going to impress my boot right up your _ass_, turian," she snapped back. "I'm _not _turning into an indoctrinated slave to some goddamn synthetic!"

Slowly she shipped her rifle, drawing out her sniper. Catching Liara's eye across the walkway, she carefully pointed at her, then held her hand out flat, like a platform, before tilting it to one side. Liara nodded her understanding.

"They are more than just synthetics. More than organics! Don't you see? Don't you understand? Sovereign has shown me. He has made me into something more than I ever could have been before! I am one of them now, Shepard. I am stronger, faster…it has upgraded me! A perfect melding of that fire organics possess, and the power the synthetics hold!"

Holding up three fingers where Liara could see them, Shepard braced the muzzle of her sniper on the planter and peered through the scope. Saren came into sharp focus. She moved her sight down his body until they reached the small pack generating his shields.

"You let the fucker implant you?" she called. Her sniper was of just high enough caliber that, if she hit the pack just right, his shields would go down. Trick was, hitting it precisely where she needed too. "Are you even listening to yourself? Trillions are going to die, Saren. If the Reapers come, _trillions_ are going to die!"

"We cannot save them all but we can save _some_! We can save our species, Shepard. We-"

"You can't even save _yourself_, Saren. And I'm done talking."

The three fingers she was holding up turned quickly to two, and then to one. As she fisted her hand, she pulled the trigger of the sniper.

The bullet slapped into the field generator. A single flash of sparks, and the shields died. Instantly Shepard shifted her aim as a biotic field suddenly enveloped the platform, tilting it on its side. Taken off guard, Saren began to fall, Shepard's scope zeroing in.

She pulled the trigger. Bone and meat ruptured between Saren's eyes as the bullet rent his skull. He fell out of sight as the platform, now under no control, lazily wobbled its way into a wall.

There was the heavy crash of glass as the turian's body slammed into the decorative garden below the promontory. The instant after she'd pulled the trigger the second time, Shepard was up and running for the computer.

"Nice fucking shot," Ashley panted as they ran up behind her, the commander already accessing the holographic interface, inputting the data sequence she'd saved from Vigil's console. Instantly the interface lit up like fireworks.

"I have access," she triumphed. "Opening communications."

Instantly the air was filled with dozens of voices, reports being shouted from ships in range, areas of the station. Swiftly she cut some of the chatter out, narrowing it down until one voice dominated them all.

_{…Ascension! We are taking heavy fire! Can anyone hear us?}_

"_Destiny Ascension_, this is Alliance Commander Shepard," she replied. "What is your situation?"

_{We are taking heavy fire from the geth fleet! The relays around the Citadel are locked somehow, no reinforcements are able to get through! Our patrols are all but decimated, I don't know how much longer we can hold out! The Council is aboard!}_

"Hang tight, I'm working on unlocking the relays now."

Holding the channel she began to hunt down the commands that would release the relays and allow ships to pass through. As she did she looked over at Ashley. "Open up a channel to the _Normandy_. See if they reached Hackett."

"_Normandy_, this is Gunnery Chief Williams, are you receiving?"

_{This is Normandy,}_ Joker replied. _{We got you loud and clear.}_

"Have you reached the fifth fleet? What is your situation?"

_{Affirmative, we are with the fifth fleet. Switching you over to Hackett now.}_

_{Chief, this is Admiral Hackett. We received the _Normandy's_ report but are unable to access the mass relay to the Citadel. What is the sitrep?}_

"Saren locked down the relays around the station from the Citadel's main terminal. Shepard is working on unlocking them now. The barricade ships are suffering heavy casualties and the _Destiny Ascension_ is being bombarded by an entire geth fleet. The Citadel arms are closed but Sovereign is inside, latched on to the tower."

Shepard hit a final command, then took over the communication.

"Hackett, this is Shepard. I've unlocked the relays. Opening the station will take another couple of minutes."

_{Good work, I'm sending ships through now, the entire fleet should clear within the next four minutes. Commander, from what I understand this Sovereign is a monster. We're going to need everything we got to take him down…the human cost may be too high if we try and save the Destiny Ascension.}_

"The Council will be lost, Shepard," Liara murmured, looking at the commander.

"Good riddance," Williams snorted. "It's their fault this all happened to begin with."

She was surprised when Shepard looked at her sharply, eyes dark. "And what of the _other_ lives aboard the _Ascension?_ That ship has a crew of over ten thousand asari and turian souls. Do _they_ deserve to die because of the goddamn Council?"

Williams blinked, then paled. "I…I'm sorry, Commander. I didn't think…"

"Admiral, this is bigger than humanity. We cannot sacrifice the lives aboard the _Ascension_ if there is any way to save them. You are the ranking officer and it's your call, but you're going to have to fight through that geth fleet to reach Sovereign anyway…might as well make it count for something."

_{Understood…and you're right, Commander. We're hitting the relay in five seconds. We'll do what we can to clear the Ascension and then hit that dreadnought. Get those arms open. Hackett out.}_


	21. Chapter 21

"Go make sure he's dead," Shepard ordered as she continued to work on opening the station arms.

"Aye ma'am," Williams replied. She and Garrus turned and headed off the promontory, working their way down to drop into the small decorative garden where Saren had fallen. Liara remained, lingering at the commander's side.

"We did it, Shepard."

"Ain't done yet. Not until Sovereign falls," Shepard told her, glancing up momentarily at the huge windows that flanked the chambers.

"They will have to believe us now," Liara told her. A breath later, a single gunshot echoed through the room.

"Citadel arms opening now," Shepard murmured as the console flashed green. Then she touched her helmet as Ashley's voice filled her ear.

_{All he needs is tagging, Skipper.}_

"Affirmative. You two get back up here. We're going to secure the chambers and then see if we can't start clearing the geth from the station. We-"

Despite her hard-suit, Shepard suddenly felt every hair on her body suddenly lift, her very skin seeming to vibrate. Liara stumbled, grasping her arm, and instinctively the commander caught her.

Arcs of red lightning filled the room, spraying from the console, from power conduits hidden in the walls, from every electronic device within a hundred yards. The remainder of the glass covering the decorative garden suddenly shattered with a hollow boom, and the promontory rattled. There was the groaning tear of metal and suddenly the ground beneath their feet gave way.

Shepard found herself tumbling, sliding. The console supports slipped past her fingers as she tried to halt her descent. A breath later she was crashing to the ground…a ground that was still shaking, still flashing with crimson light.

Scrambling to her feet she grabbed Liara and bodily hauled her up. A snap of lightning sailed past her face and she whirled around, staring in shock.

Saren's body was lost in a halo of fervent energy, suspended off the ground. Despite the fact half of his skull was missing, he was howling and shrieking in seeming agony as thick chunks of flesh ignited and fell away to ash.

A brighter flash. The four threw their arms up instinctively, shielding their eyes against the painful blast of light that was almost immediately followed by a rocketing boom that sent them all flying off their feet again.

Dazed, ears ringing madly, Shepard realized first that her HUD was gone, completely shorted out. Gripping her helmet she hauled it off and tossed it aside, the acrid smell of burning and smoke immediately filling her nose.

Fumbling her machine pistol out she weakly rolled over into a sit.

A form moved through the smoke, too tall to be one of her crew, even Garrus. A small pair of yellow lights cut a blazing path through the smoke, shimmers of blue flaring through the darkness. Coughing, she lifted her pistol and aimed.

The figure stepped forward, coalescing out of the gloom.

It was Saren…and yet it was not. He had not lied when he said Sovereign had implanted him, but this was no mere accessorizing with bio-electric implants. Only part of Saren's skull showed this had once been a turian male. His entire skeleton seemed to have been replaced by metal and synthetics, fueled by that strange red electro-plasma that had to have come through the station itself from Sovereign. The Reaper had sensed Saren's death, somehow…and empowered his 'backup'. There was nothing organic about him left, all of it except a random bone here and there having been burned away.

Gritting her teeth she fired. The bullets flashed off of the metal chest-plate fused around yellow-gray ribs, and the mouthless thing somehow shrieked, dropping to all fours. Some kind of watery mucus dripped from tiny tubes at the base of its skull. As the mucus struck grass, smoke rose with the unmistakable hiss of acid.

"Oh _fuck_ no," Shepard murmured, scrambling to her feet, tossing her pistol in favor of her more powerful rifle.

As she opened fire the thing shrieked again, darting to a wall with all the ease and finesse of those damn geth leapers.

More fire bloomed from the swirls of smoke, its reflecting light painting over Ashley's determined face.

The Saren thing leapt again, moving so quickly she could not track it. It was almost impossible to see through the smoke. Not daring to lower her rifle she scanned in a circle, calling out.

"Ash!"

"Here ma'am!" William's voice called from the gloom, somewhere about four o'clock.

"Garrus!"

A pained groan, and then the turian replied. "Here! I'm here!" Nine o'clock.

"Liara!"

Silence.

"Liara, _talk_ to me damn it," Shepard barked, then coughed again. Her eyes were streaming as she searched through the flooding clouds.

"_Here_! I am here, Shepard!"

High noon. Relief thundered Shepard's heart, but there was no time for it.

"Everyone get your backs to a goddamn wall," Shepard barked. "This thing is-"

She saw the eyes again a breath before something hit her like a runaway train. She sailed back, pain rocketing over her spine as she crashed hard into the wall, the weight of the abomination enough to make her armor creak dangerously. Her gaze filled with glistening skull, broken from two head shots, light beaming from its sockets. She only just had time to remember the acid when she heard the hiss, wet splashing over her.

Most of it landed on her breastplate and shoulder guards. Insane heat filled the corner of her jaw as it splashed up on her skin, seeming to lick flame up to her eyes. She hollered, levering all her strength to throw the thing backward and away from her. As it hit the ground it recovered itself with lightning speed, bunched to leap again…and was caught in a biotic bubble.

Only swiping one gloved hand over her cheek in an attempt to get as much of the acid off her skin as she could, Shepard leapt for her dropped rifle, snatching it up. Rolling on her back she opened fire on the monstrosity hanging helplessly overhead. She didn't even notice her hand starting to burn as well, the shreds of her glove breaking apart and falling away.

Gunfire lit up the smoke from two other quarters, all focused on what used to be Saren Arterius. For several seconds it didn't seem as if the weapons were causing any damage, and Shepard didn't know how long Liara could hold him suspended. She had already strained herself with various biotics on Ilos, not to mention catching six tons of rock and holding it for their escape. She had to be reaching the end of her strength.

Pausing only long enough to pop out her heat sink and slam another into place, she struggled up to her feet, not letting up on the barrage.

More of the skull split and shattered and it shrieked once more, metallic claws lashing out. Finally seeing traces of damage she shouted, "_Keep it up! Just a little longer_!"

Ashley's fire halted and then resumed as she also discharged a heat sink. Suddenly the biotic bubble disappeared, the creature slamming to the ground. Writhing, it seemed unable to get up. She could see more of that mucus bubbling up from his chest, and barked out a 'hold!'

The gunfire halted. Liara, Garrus, and Ashley moved forward like ghosts out of the gloom, staring as the mucus bubbled and spilled over the remains, the acid eating them away with swift, ravenous urgency.

Never tearing her eyes away, Shepard reached up and unsnapped her breastplate, hauling it off and dropping it to the side. The goop had almost completely eaten through the reinforced padding and would have reached her skin in moments.

The last of Saren's twisted remains disappeared, the acid slowly burning the grass beneath him away, eating through the dirt. Shepard could feel blood on her neck, the side of her face throbbing. Almost idly she peeled off the last of her glove, looked at her hand.

Only a trace amount had actually come in contact with her skin. The flesh was angry, burned badly in a patch about the size of two quarters. Looking up she glanced first at Ashley's dust covered face, then Garrus. He had a pair of broken teeth, saliva foamed with blood dripping from one mandible, but otherwise seemed intact. Liara had another gash on her head and looked a little pale, but steady.

"We have to get out of this smoke," Shepard urged, eyes still streaming.

"There's a way up, over this way," Garrus gestured, sounding just as rough and haggard. Moving gingerly, the four managed to climb back up the crumpled promontory and out of the burning garden.

Coughing heavily, streaked with soot, blood and grime, they all but collapsed at the top of the stairs.

Damp, gritty hair hanging over her face, Shepard crouched in front of Liara, checking her head, then looked around at the huge windows. Rising, she watched several ships flash past and accessed her radio, struggling not to cough as she spoke. "_Normandy_, report!"

_{The _Destiny Ascension_ is clear!}_ Joker's tense, breathless, yet triumphant voice filled her ear. _{We've taken massive casualties but Sovereign's shields and weapons just went down!}_

In the bleed-over, Shepard heard Hackett's faint voice_. {All ships, concentrate on Sovereign! Hit him with everything you've got!}_

Leaving the exhausted three behind her, Shepard headed over closer to the windows. Through them she could see floating wreckage, destroyed ships…far too many destroyed ships. Even as she took in the scene, a massive flash of light blanked out her sight, and Joker all but screamed in her ear.

_{WHOOHOO! Sovereign is down! I repeat! SOVEREIGN IS DOWN!}_

Shepard couldn't help the grin, even with a cheek that still felt aflame. They'd done it. They'd stopped Saren, stopped the invasion. They'd goddamn motherfucking _won_.

"I'm buying the entire goddamn fleet drinks," she called into the radio. "And a whole bottle of whiskey just for you, Jeff-"

_{Commander! Incoming debris!}_ Joker suddenly belted out, alarmed.

Shepard's eyes widened as the window suddenly went dark. For a split second she could see the huge black chunk of metal and electronics perfectly…a speeding projectile half the size of her ship.

Sovereign's last insult. It was going to crash right into the council chambers.

Turning, eyes wide, she only had time to bark one word at the three crewmen huddled right in its path.

"_GO!"_

In a roar of fury, the world came down.

* * *

><p>Death was not quite the way she'd expected it to be.<p>

There was no light, for one. And that wailing sounded less like choirs of angels and more like an alarm klaxon. Pain still existed too, as well as lungs that felt as if they'd been sandpapered.

Slowly, Ashley Williams came to the conclusion that she was not, in fact, dead…and gingerly uncovered her head, shock and the ringing in her ears slowly fading, replaced with memory.

The great windows had imploded with the impact of the debris, the size and force of it tearing through the walls as well as it raped its way into the chamber. All three of them had ducked, covering their heads instinctively but Liara…

Yes, it was _Liara_. Exhausted, strained beyond belief, the asari had still managed to throw up a biotic barrier over the three of them. In her mind's eye, Ashley could still see the largest of the projectiles bouncing off that barrier. The force of it had been enough to slam Liara down on the ground, her biotics dying in the same motion, but it had done its work. The chunk had skipped enough off the field to miss the three of them completely. Had it not been for Liara, they would have been crushed.

Gingerly she tried to push herself up, giving a faint gasp of pain as white heat rocked through her arm and shoulder. Liara had deflected the largest piece of debris that had come their way, but they had still been pelted with hundreds of smaller shards. Groping around, Ashley grimaced as she realized one had sliced right through her armor plating, spearing her through the shoulder.

Grimacing, she turned around until she was sitting, trying to take stock. Beyond the shoulder, her smoke-abraded lungs, and a head that felt like a half-inflated football, she felt more or less all right. All she could see in every direction was broken metal and debris, only faint light coming through. Clearly the station field generators had kicked on, however…given that she was alive and breathing. The moment the windows were compromised they would have been open to the atmosphere of the nebula. The generators would have sensed the sudden change of pressure and immediately put up an energy barrier to prevent explosive decompression.

She was bleeding, but not badly. The shard was plugging up the wound, preventing too much from escaping. Fumbling for her omni-tool she activated the light, and started it scanning around. Almost immediately she saw a dazed Garrus. He looked like he was just waking up as well, blue blood staining his mouth and the side of his head. One wrist looked broken, and he blinked weakly as he prodded it.

"Garrus," Ashley panted, casting aside a small panel and scooting her way over toward him. He blinked at her, wincing.

"Ashley…good to see you in one piece, more or less. How did…how were we not crushed?"

"Liara put up a barrier," she replied, coughed, and continued to scan around with her light. "Do you see her?"

"No, I…no, there!"

Crawling forward, he took hold of a flat hunk of metal, shifting it away from the limp asari it had been covering. Moving as carefully as she could, trying not to dislodge the shrapnel in her shoulder or allowing it to cut deeper, Ashley tried to get closer.

"She alive?"

As Garrus touched Liara's throat, the young woman groaned and shifted, eyelids fluttering.

"Hey, take it easy now," the turian murmured, gently touching her shoulder. Liara blinked, then hissed in surprised pain, one hand groping down.

"My leg…"

"It's still there," Garrus told her. "Probably broken, try not to move too much."

"N-no, I don't think it's broken, just…sprained…I think I sprained my knee…" she murmured. He helped her to sit up and she pressed a hand to her head, then glanced at Ashley, brows knitting.

"You are hurt."

"We're _all _hurt," Ash replied. "I'm _alive_, thanks to you."

"I…it was just instinct, I…" Liara murmured, glancing around for the first time. As Williams, all she saw was debris surrounding them. Suddenly her eyes flew wide. "Shepard!"

"Hey, no no no, _stop_!" Garrus grit his teeth as he snagged the asari around the waist, halting her surge to her feet. Weak, exhausted, the asari still slammed a fist into his shoulder, struggling against him.

"Let me go! _Shepard!_"

"Liara, stop! There are literally _tons_ of debris blocking us in. You cannot shift it all to get to her. Liara…she was right underneath those windows-"

"_No_!" Liara snarled with surprising vehemence. "No, Shepard's all right! I _can_ move it!"

Freeing an arm, Liara reached out with a hand wreathed in blue. A hunk of the debris blocking them in shimmered a little, then shifted only a centimeter before the field died, Liara slumping against Garrus weakly.

With a soft sob, she closed her eyes. "Shepard can't …she wouldn't-…not like this…"

Garrus held her close, glancing over her head at Ashley, who was watching solemnly. The human chief cleared her throat, then turned her light on the rest of the debris.

"We're not diggin' out of here, not in the shape we're in," she murmured. "We just have to sit tight. They'll find us soon enough."

* * *

><p>Ash had managed to seal the wound around the shard a little with some medi-gel from her belt, but could do no more without risking tearing it further. Propped up in a sit, she half-dozed. Someone had finally shut the alarm klaxon off. The silence was thick and heavy.<p>

Liara had drawn away from Garrus and was sitting a few feet away. Occasionally she coughed but she didn't speak, and what tears she had shed had dried. Her jaw was set, her eyes weary and far away. Ashley watched her a little, between nodding off, her thoughts a jumble.

She thought about her family, as she always did after a hard mission. She was thankful she'd be able to see them again, hear their voices. This Christmas at the Williams house wouldn't be spent in mourning grief, lamenting her loss. Despite the acrid smell in the air, the pain in her chest…every breath felt like spring, a celebration to being alive.

Yet the celebration came with guilt. Shepard _had_ been right beneath those windows, right in the path of the avalanche. Ashley remembered her turning and shouting at them a breath before hell broke loose. Were it not for Liara's quick reflexes they would never have lived. Shepard had neither biotics nor even the few precious seconds her warning had brought her team.

_Don't you give up on her, Williams. They'll find her. She'll be all right. _

Moving as carefully as she could, she shifted inch by inch over until she sat beside the asari. Lifting her good hand, she draped it around the woman's shoulders. She said nothing, knowing no words would help at this moment.

"Hey, I hear something," Garrus murmured a moment later. Turning her head, Ash listened.

Voices, faint…and moving metal.

"It's a search party," she grinned, and then called out as loudly as she could. "Hey! Hey, we're over here!"

A few minutes passed, the shifting sounds growing closer, before they heard a muffled voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Captain? Captain Anderson, we're over here!" she called again. "Over here!"

There was a groan and the wall of detritus to the left shifted and moved. She saw a flash of light, hands grasping through the gap to get a better grip, before more shifted. A few seconds later, faces could be seen.

Anderson, dusty but unharmed, moved through the gap followed quickly by a pair of C-Sec agents and then Dr. Chakwas herself, leading some medics. Zeroing in on the one that most obviously needed aid, Chakwas hurried to Ashley's side, gingerly touching the ragged metal spike in her shoulder.

"It's all right now," Anderson said, crouching nearby, playing his light over the pair, then turning and looking at Garrus. "You're all safe now. We're getting you out of here."

Chakwas injected Ashley in the neck, then checked her pupils. "Your vitals are stable. I think you can walk a short distance," she said. "Move _carefully_. We're going to have to get you to an infirmary before we can get your breastplate off and take this out of your shoulder."

"Dr. T'Soni," Anderson smiled, gently taking hold of the asari woman, before he frowned and looked around again. "Where's Shepard?"

At the thick silence, he glanced over at Ashley. "Williams?"

The Chief wearily met his eyes. "She was right beneath the windows, sir," she murmured.

The captain's face turned grim in understanding. "Let's get you three out of here."

He helped Liara up to her feet, Chakwas carefully bracing Ashley as they moved through the gap in the debris they had cleared away. The dented staircase was slow going but clearer, the rescue shuttle waiting at the taxi terminal just at the bottom. Two more medics raced up to help Chakwas with Ashley, one taking hold of Garrus.

As they reached the shuttle, Liara turned her head and looked back up at the chambers. She could see the top of the shattered wall now, the shimmer of the energy barrier a faint gleam. The rest was merely a tangle of refuse and ruin, the tiny lights of the rescue workers creeping over and through it.

"C'mon," Anderson murmured, urging gently. Liara started to turn back toward the shuttle, then halted, eyes flying wide.

"Goddess…" she breathed. Anderson frowned, looking back.

"What? What did you see?" he asked. The activity at the shuttle halted as nearly everyone turned.

Breaking away from the captain, Liara weakly limped back toward the stairs, ignoring her sprained knee, her exhaustion. Trotting after her, more alarmed that she'd hurt herself worse, Anderson quickly halted, staring in surprise.

A form limped out of the swirls of smoke that still spun through the air in lazy eddies. Reaching the top of the stairs, the form staggered a little, slumped down into a sit.

Liara stumbled on the steps, catching herself with her hands. Not injured or nearly as exhausted, Anderson reached her side, helping to haul her up as he heard Chakwas rushing up behind him. The doctor didn't stop, moving past and immediately to the form's side.

To _Shepard_'s side.

Supporting Liara, Anderson hurried up the remainder of the flight, not surprised when the asari once again broke away from him, almost falling once more. As Liara reached the commander's side, flinging her arms around her with a sob, Shepard winced in pain before relief appeared on her blood-streaked face. Looking up at Anderson over Liara's shoulder she gave a lopsided grin.

"So," she rasped. "Anyone got a smoke?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Commander Delilah Shepard."<em>

"Oh, can we _please_ turn that damn thing off," Shepard grumped around her cigar, glaring up from the pool table at the screen above the bar. On the vid they were playing footage from the awards ceremony _again_.

"No, I like this part. You look like you bit a lemon and are trying _really_ hard not to show it," Williams smirked from nearby, beer bottle in her right hand. Her left was still in a plastic sling, and would be for a few days yet.

Shepard scowled, regarding the holographic pool balls in front of her, shifting her smoke from one corner of her mouth to the other as she lined up her shot. On the vid, a stiff and stern version of herself was bowing forward slightly as a medal was slipped over her head to rest against the chest of her dress uniform. A few of the marines and civvies at the battered bar hooted and clapped.

"They used my first name, and I'd been sitting there listening to speeches for goddamn hours," Shepard huffed. She cursed as she missed her shot, straightening and tapping the ash off her cigar into the nearby hovering ashtray. "Course I looked sour."

"I have to hand it to you, Skipper," Williams shook her head. "You're the only person I know who could steal an Alliance frigate and come out with a medal."

"You stole it with me," Shepard pointed out. "And you got a medal too. Your shot, Tianlán."

Liara rose and began to line up her shot. As she bent over the table, squinting in concentration, Shepard stepped behind her and goosed her sharply. Liara jumped, missing the shot.

"Oops," Shepard grinned, picking up her whiskey.

"That is cheating," Liara protested with amusement.

"You'll have to punish me later," Shepard smirked with a wink. Ashley rolled her eyes.

Shepard lined up her next shot, the small, fresh scars on her hand wrinkling a little. Only a few small twists remained of where the acid had burned her there. The more ugly scar was on her face, a good four inch portion of flesh still an angry red swirl of healing tissue. The jaw beneath it had been partially eaten away and had to be replaced by metal. Chakwas had wanted to correct the scarring with cosmetic surgery but Shepard had put her foot down. Her scars were her medals, more meaningful and more important than whatever pointless hunk of metal they wanted to hang around her neck.

"I have to say, Earth is not entirely as I expected," Liara commented as Shepard sank two of the pool balls in one shot.

"Well, this is hardly the most ideal part of it," Ashley replied. "Leave it to Shepard to find the deepest, dirtiest dive in New York to hang at. We could be at a banquet right now, Skipper. You know, more prime rib…fewer rats."

"Stuffed shirt bureaucrats, overly starched dress uniforms, pedantic small talk," Shepard mumbled around her cigar, regarding the table. "I'll take the rats, thanks. And this is _not_ the dirtiest dive. I could show you one that makes this place look like the fuckin' Marriot."

"The brass are going to be mad that we skipped out after the ceremony," Ashley warned.

"They can kiss my ass…like the Council is doing," Shepard told her. "You should have seen it, Ash. They were choking on humble pie. Fuckin' turian bastard started making this long speech about how noble it was that the Alliance had sacrificed so many in order to save their lives…_their _lives, mind you, _just_ the Council. He said how their sacrifice would never be forgotten. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I told them it hadn't been done to save _them_, but the thousands of _other_ people on the _Ascension_. Self-involved assholes."

"It does not matter," Liara said matter-of-factly. "They will have to take the Reaper threat seriously now. You proved to them that everything you told them was the truth. Everyone that died in the attack is on their heads, and they know it."

"Yeah, I hope so."

She stretched her back and neck, then jerked her chin a little at Williams. "You staying much longer?"

"Nah, Mom's going to call me tonight after they watch the ceremony vid," she said. "She was so upset she and the girls couldn't make it to New York in time to come. Probably a good thing, otherwise I really _would_ be stuck at that banquet right now…likely in heels. I hear Tali is leaving in the morning?"

"Not just Tali," Shepard nodded. "Wrex is going too, back to Tuchanka. Garrus is talking to C-Sec but I get the feeling he's going to be hanging around on board for a while still."

"I hope so," Ashley replied. "It's bad enough Tali and Wrex are leaving, though I understand why. They kind of grew on me. I'm going to miss them."

"Yeah, me too," Shepard murmured. "But Tianlán is sticking around for a while, ain't that right?"

She smiled as she put an arm around Liara's waist. The asari lifted an eyebrow .

"Oh, I don't know," she hedged. "I heard they are sending an excavation team to Ilos. Now that this excitement with Saren is done with I think I'll go with them."

"Yeah right," Ashley snorted. "You're _still_ a terrible liar, T'Soni."

"I'm better than dust and old statues anyway," Shepard smirked, then leaned in and planted a loud, dramatic kiss on her lips.

"All right, I'm getting out of here before I get a damn cavity," Ashley huffed, throwing up her good hand in surrender.

"If you're jealous, Williams, there's a volus on the Citadel that's pining for you," Shepard joked. Ashley barked a laugh, slapping the commander in the shoulder as she walked past for the door.

"Good _night_, Skipper. Don't stay up too late, we have to be at the shuttles at 0800 if we want to say good-bye to Tali and Wrex."

"We'll see you there," Shepard shouted after her, then grinned at Liara, kissing her cheek. "She's right, Tianlán, it's getting late. You'd best head back to the _Normandy_."

"Alone?" Liara asked.

"Yeah, I got some business I got to deal with. I'll be back to the ship soon enough."

"Are you sure?" Liara asked, brows knitting. "I do not mind coming with you."

"Yeah, it's no big deal. Boring bullshit. I won't be long, I promise."

Liara nodded but did not look entirely convinced. Lifting a hand, she cupped Shepard's cheek, then kissed her, lingering a long moment before she pulled back a little. She could feel the scars beneath her fingertips, and closed her eyes a moment, before she smiled softly.

"Do not take too long, Shepard…I do not want to get lonely," she whispered meaningfully. Shepard grinned, and kissed her again briefly.

"Believe me, I won't be able to stay away," she replied.

Shepard turned and leaned on the pool table, watching as Liara went to the door and then slipped outside. Slowly her faint smile faded into a much darker, more brooding expression, silent thoughts moving behind her eyes.

Reaching out, she picked up her swagman from where she'd hung it and pulled it on, the shadow it cast turning her gaze from brown to black.

* * *

><p>She coughed, clear fluid spilling from her mouth and lungs, pooling around her, then gasped for air. Something warm and soft descended, draping over her shoulders. Trembling, she looked up.<p>

"There, take it easy," Gellian smiled affectionately, stroking a hand lightly over the pale blue cheek.

"M-mother," she murmured, her first word still hoarse with the nutrient fluid. She coughed a little, sat back. Her blue eyes shone like the pools from the Ilvecti Caverns, clear and depthless.

"Take it easy, little one. You are all right. You're safe here," Gellian soothed, rubbing the towel over the newly born asari girl's shoulders and arms. Nearby, Thug watched in silent fascination.

Timidly, shivering, the girl held the towel around her, then allowed Gellian to help her to her feet. She swayed a little, taking in her surroundings.

"You are Mother," she whispered, then looked at the silent krogan. "That is Thug…that is my brother."

"Yes," Gellian grinned, pleased. "Do you know your name? Do you remember?"

Slim brows knit a moment, before the asari girl nodded. "My name is Eír."

A snort of amusement came from the work-desk nearby. Gellian didn't bother to even glance around at Not-Shepard, who was perched there.

"Eír? Really?" Not-Shepard mocked. "Of all the valkyries you picked _that_ one? The one associated with medicine and mercy? Seems kind of silly considering."

"Shut up," the human geneticist hissed under her breath.

"I didn't say anything," Thug rumbled.

"Bring me her clothes," Gellian snapped at the krogan boy. He carried them over. Helping the girl to dry herself, Osco then helped her dress.

"Eír, look at me," she said gently, cupping the girl's face. Still a child in physical form, the young asari looked no older than a ten year old human might, far more immature than Thug had when he had come out of the tank. Gellian searched the girl's eyes, checking her vitals.

Though grown mostly from Benezia's DNA, the girl did not resemble the Matriarch, nor Benezia's true daughter, Liara. Her skin was of a darker shade, her eyes so light they were almost clear. She was as beautiful as a storm, as a tempest…a natural force of destruction.

She was not pure asari, either. Though she looked indistinguishable from any other born of Thessia, Gellian had so manipulated her genetic code that in truth, she was a unique species all of her own.

She had some growing to do still, some training. Her biotic strength would be incredible, Gellian having put all her knowledge gleaned over years of trials with her first 'daughter' to work. A perfect warrior, a perfect assassin, a perfect being…the most perfect being the galaxy had ever known or _would_ ever know.

"You ask me, you went a bit overboard," Not-Shepard commented, scratching at the raw edge of the ragged wound in her forehead. "All of that work, that perfection, just to kill me and a weak little archaeologist. And then what? Are you going to have her topple governments? Destroy whole armies, whole fleets? Is she going to rule the known universe, Jelly? Is that your plan? Is that your perverted little legacy to Benezia? You know…and mind, this comes from your _own_ hallucination…you really _are_ fucking bonkers."

Osco only smiled.

* * *

><p>The room was small, hot, and smelled of piss, mold, and red sand. The only light was from the neon outside the window, casting green, blue and hot pink bars across the stack of credits on the table.<p>

Sperry counted out four more chits before he lifted the spoon of sand to his nose and took another small hit. A half-eaten dish of some gray chicken casserole sat near at hand. A pair of flies circled it like restless vultures. Whenever they dared to light, he waved them away with a careless flick.

A vid screen on the wall was showing that goddamn awards ceremony again, muted. Sperry's over-bright eyes lifted to watch as that bitch Shepard accepted her medal, shaking hands with the president.

_The goddamn fuckin' _president_, do you believe that shit? How the fuck is _that_ fair?_

Leaning back in the chair he plucked the small pistol from the table top and aimed it at the screen. He mimicked the sound of a gunshot, as if shooting the woman whose face filled the screen, then grinned.

_Fuckin' bitch._

Waving the flies away again, he set the pistol down and took another forkful of the casserole before filing through his chits again. This take was good. He-

The screen popped off with a snap, and he looked up at it, blinking. "…the fuck?"

Rising he strode over, smacking it lightly. "C'mon, you old piece of shit. _Work_, goddamnit!"

The neon outside, flashing its incessant message, suddenly dimmed and died, casting the room into near perfect darkness.

"Aw, you're fuckin' _kidding_ me," he grumped, stalking over to the window. Power on the block must have gone out. Most of New York was on the consistent National Grid, but some of the more run-down neighborhoods, like this one, still ran off an ancient power plant.

Opening the window he leaned out and grimaced at the sign. "C'mon you fuck!" he shouted at it, slapping his hands down on the sill with the indignation only a man high on sand could display toward an inanimate object.

When the sign didn't oblige by immediately switching itself back on, he cursed again, then slammed the window shut.

"Fucking garbage," he snarled, turning around.

He jolted to a halt. While the apartment was mostly lost in darkness, there was enough light to see the form sitting in the beat-ass old chair beside the front door. He stared at it before his eyes flickered to the pistol still sitting on the table nearby, then back again.

"The fuck are _you_?" He demanded.

"Try it. Grab the gun, I dare you," a low voice murmured out of the darkness.

"Who is that? Torrel? No, it's Jinsette isn't it? Fucking Savon Avenue bitch. The fuck you want?"

"I want you to try and grab the gun, Sperry."

Grabbing himself lewdly instead, he grinned. "This is the only gun I need, Jinsette. How 'bout _you_ try and grab it you feeble little junker?"

A match popped in a flare of light, illuminating a face beneath a swagman hat. As the flame touched to a cigar, Sperry squinted…and then paled.

"Shit…" he breathed, his bravado vanishing. The match snuffed out, only the faintly glowing cherry of the cigar remaining.

"You remember Paul, Sperry? _I_ do."

With a grunt of desperation, Sperry leapt for the gun.

* * *

><p>Though she had been determined to wait up, Liara had dozed off, one hand curled around a softly illuminated book-pad. Reaching out, a hand picked it up and set it aside, before gently touching Liara's cheek.<p>

As Liara stirred the bed creaked, followed a moment later by the thump of one boot, then another, before a warm body lay down beside her. Turning, Liara enveloped herself in the smell of soap and cigars, humming happily as arms wound around her, Shepard's soft voice whispering in her ear.

"I'm back."

**THE END**

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Yay! That's the end of Dark Energy #1! Hopefully the ending wasn't too lame.

Dark Energy: Path of Shadows will start come tomorrow, and will follow Del Shepard through the events of the second ME game. It will be a seperate story file so those of you following this one and relying on alerts to let you know when its updated, keep an eye out and make sure you do the same with the next one, so you don't miss anything.

I'm also expecting that DE: PoS (um, maybe I ought to rethink abbreviating that title, PoS has other connotations I really hope don't apply to my writing) will end up being longer than DE was.

So for those of you who managed to read the whole thing, thank you very much for your time and I hope I didn't waste too much of it.

Now, as Shepard would say...enough of that bullshit, I got work to do!


End file.
